Huge shout out and props to the Front Office. What a masterclass !!

[NFL Mystique]

How on earth did this thread celebrating a phenomenal rebuild turn into yet another round of “Kraft is chap” BS? Come on, go to Gillette, look at the first class facilities he’s built in a mid-size market and consider that unlike every other owner he did it without a massive taxpayer handout.

Anyway…11 draft picks, every one ended up on the 53. Williams, Spillane, Diggs, Chaisson, Hollins, Moses, Bradbury, Tonga. Absolutely phenomenal personnel year.

Totally off topic. Gillette stadium will be in year 25 come September. It's getting "up there" in age. I wonder if Kraft plans on renovating or if a new stadium will be opening by 2030 or 2031.

Drafting Maye in 2024 was a success too. It wasn't simple. They could have taken the offer from the Vikings. Maye was not looked at as a guarantee hit. Some teams build the roster up and look to draft a QB. They went with Maye and hd conviction.

 

[n1997y]

I wouldn't be surprised if the pats win the ring this year, a movie gets made out of it. The storyline should be insane.

Affleck and/or Damon should be all over it. Wonder if TB12 is ready to become a Hollywood producer?

How do we make it happen? I’d invest time and even money in it myself!

 

[n1997y]

Its almost too good to be true. Usually when spending this much you make at least one really bad investment and a few other you sorta regret. Im glad we have all of them

Then you come out of the draft with 4 major contributors, a kicker /LS, and some depth pieces. Pretty incredible work, with one more offseason thats even 1/3rd as successful (think edge, lb, iol, and possibly a wr) this team may be a juggernaut in 2026

The really bad investment happened last year.

 

[NFL Mystique]

The alternative was a fan base ready to mutiny and give up season tickets.

This. Fan apathy could have been at an all time high this season.

2025 has probably reenergized the fan base. Patriots are a hot ticket again and the number one topic in New England sports.

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

Most teams drafts don't include any all pros.
Most teams drafts also don't include many long term starters.
This draft appears to most certainly have multiple long term starters in Campbell, Hendo, Wilson, Williams, Woodsen and Borregalas.
Hendo Campbell Bor and maybe even Woodsen could be pro-bowlers in the future.
It was a pretty phenomal draft based on the historical average of teams draft results.

The 2024 draft had only 1 All-Pro and no starters. The 2025 draft had no All-Pros and a bunch of starters. If you could only pick one, which draft would you chose to keep?

 

[NFL Mystique]

(sigh)
Only here at PF could a thread with a first post giving well deserved kudos to the front office immediately turn to Kraft bashing.
Whatever flaws Kraft has he is still one of the best owners in the league, granted the list of 'good' owners is short.

In no particular order:

Kraft
Biscotti
Hunt
Packers president
Rooney
Benson
Jodi Allen
York

 

[DoubleDeluxe]

Drafting Maye in 2024 was a success too. It wasn't simple. They could have taken the offer from the Vikings. Maye was not looked at as a guarantee hit. Some teams build the roster up and look to draft a QB. They went with Maye and hd conviction.

For me it was easy.
You can't compete in this league until you find your QB.
If you need one, have conviction in him and he is there, you take him, period.
I personally wanted him over Daniels. Never considered Williams since it was known he was going #1.
I saw enough of JJ, Nix and Penix to know there was a significant drop off after the top 3.
I'm just a guy on a couch who loves football, so I'm not going to give the front office much credit for drafting Maye, as even couch coaches like me knew it was the right move, the only move to make.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

I did find that odd how he specifically mentioned the cost of moving on from Mayo and that entire staff, not sure I've ever heard any owner talk about such things.
I'm not a Kraft apologist or hater, overall he's a good owner.
Only thing I care about is that he realized his house was on fire and he did what was necessary to extinguish said fire and rebuild.

FWIW, it meant paying all the coaches that were let go after the 2024 season on top of the ones let go after 2023. I get why Kraft would be concerned about it.

At least he has the higher-class problem of keeping this staff together.

 

[DoubleDeluxe]

The 2024 draft had only 1 All-Pro and no starters. The 2025 draft had no All-Pros and a bunch of starters. If you could only pick one, which draft would you chose to keep?

Most rookies aren't all pros in year 1.
Your comparison is pretty silly.
What I would have preferred is that we made competent picks in 2024 after Maye, just imagine our roster today if we had a similar draft in 2024 with the picks after Maye.

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

Most rookies aren't all pros in year 1.
Your comparison is pretty silly.
What I would have preferred is that we made competent picks in 2024 after Maye, just imagine our roster today if we had a similar draft in 2024 with the picks after Maye.

It is easy to regret the past. That is quite silly too, it accomplishes nothing but posters in these parts really like doing it. I would prefer to discuss silly questions as opposed to regretting past mistakes.

 

[Toofy]

Most rookies aren't all pros in year 1.
Your comparison is pretty silly.
What I would have preferred is that we made competent picks in 2024 after Maye, just imagine our roster today if we had a similar draft in 2024 with the picks after Maye.

Precisely , that my point .

We started with a clean and empty slate after an abomination of 2024 draft where the last man standing is Maye . All others are cut, traded ,injured or inactive. That's how bad 2024 was.

2023 looked promising to start off with and again the second and third rounders became useless. It was saved by gonzo being a stud and Boutte emerging and pop being an above average contributor .

2022 was similar to 2024. So technically we had zero talent on the roster sans gonzo, Mayo. Boutte, pop from the last 3 years of draft .

So to take that very very thin crusted base and run it off with what we have seen so far is a testimony to vision of the coaches and front office. It's not normal . It's insane!!!

 

[raduray]

(sigh)
Only here at PF could a thread with a first post giving well deserved kudos to the front office immediately turn to Kraft bashing.
Whatever flaws Kraft has he is still one of the best owners in the league, granted the list of 'good' owners is short.

You've got to give Kraft credit for recognizing and acknowledging the Mayo hire as a mistake and taking the necessary, and difficult, steps to reverse it. He didn't let his ego get in the way.

 

[DoubleDeluxe]

It is easy to regret the past. That is quite silly too, it accomplishes nothing but posters in these parts really like doing it. I would prefer to discuss silly questions as opposed to regretting past mistakes.

I thought we were discussing if the 2025 draft was phenomenal or not.
Based on draft history for all teams, I would classify as phenomenal.
It's rare to get this many starter level players with potential for more from one single draft class.

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

I thought we were discussing if the 2025 draft was phenomenal or not.
Based on draft history for all teams, I would classify as phenomenal.
It's rare to get this many starter level players with potential for more from one single draft class.

If you reread the original post, the 2023, 2024 and 2025 drafts were referenced.

 

[DoubleDeluxe]

If you reread the original post, the 2023, 2024 and 2025 drafts were referenced.

The whole point (and title of this post) was how good of an off-season we had this year.
I only mentioned 2025 until you brought Maye into the equation.
Not really worth nitpicking tho.
I think the 2025 draft was phenomenal. Others may disagree, it's a healthy discussion.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

Totally off topic. Gillette stadium will be in year 25 come September. It's getting "up there" in age. I wonder if Kraft plans on renovating or if a new stadium will be opening by 2030 or 2031.

Drafting Maye in 2024 was a success too. It wasn't simple. They could have taken the offer from the Vikings. Maye was not looked at as a guarantee hit. Some teams build the roster up and look to draft a QB. They went with Maye and hd conviction.

At least as of today, renovation would have to be more likely; building a new stadium isn't something you can just start doing as a surprise.

 

[DoubleDeluxe]

At least as of today, renovation would have to be more likely; building a new stadium isn't something you can just start doing as a surprise.

Ya, no way they are building a new stadium any time soon.

 

[fnordcircle]

Wolf-hating wannabe GMs trembling with rage rn

 

[maust]

Totally off topic. Gillette stadium will be in year 25 come September. It's getting "up there" in age. I wonder if Kraft plans on renovating or if a new stadium will be opening by 2030 or 2031.

Drafting Maye in 2024 was a success too. It wasn't simple. They could have taken the offer from the Vikings. Maye was not looked at as a guarantee hit. Some teams build the roster up and look to draft a QB. They went with Maye and hd conviction.

They put $250M in renovations into the stadium from 2022-23 and are currently building a state of the art training facility. Not sure how any Patriots fan could have missed the atrium, lighthouse and video board that were the most visible parts of a renovation that went much further than its most visible components but just watching a game those three are hard to miss

 

[maust]

Also he didn’t implement PSL’s for season ticket holders like most owners were doing with their new stadiums back then.

Not just 'back then' as far as PSL's go, the grift continues. Bills and Titans are charging PSL fees for their largely publicly funded new stadiums and the Commanders plan to. The jury is out on Denver and Cleveland but it's hard to imagine they won't. Seems odd that a supposedly cheap guy like Krafty Bob sure seems to spend quite a bit in comparison doesn't it?