Kraft is obviously frustrated by it, but he’s not going to publicly admit that he regrets Brady leaving. There are plenty of pieces of the blame pie.
Belichick pissed off Brady the moment his personal trainer was banned from the locker room and team plane. The drafting was mostly subpar and the next generation of cost-effective core players wasn’t there for them. Didn’t have successors to Edelman or Gronk or D-Mac or Hightower.
Also seemed to piss off Gronk, who he tried to trade to Detroit but Gronk threatened to retire and killed the deal. Gronk then waited too long to officially announce his retirement and we missed out on Jared Cook as a result.
AB messed up an opportunity of a lifetime when he wouldn’t leave the painter woman alone and asked his friends to look into her background. Be that as it may I still wish the Pats would have held on to him, even if suspended, because he was living with Brady who was trying to help his friend and new top weapon. Kraft almost certainly demanded he be cut because the subject of sexual harassment hit a little too close to home thanks to his own rub and tug sessions and didn’t want to be associated with the press AB was getting. That undoubtedly pissed off Brady too.
Fairness to Belichick, he tried to get Brady some help that year in 2019. Drafted a WR in the 1st round for the first time (faceplanted on that one, but the effort was there). Brought back Josh Gordon who had already been suspended for the millionth time. Signed Demaryius Thomas who looked good in preseason and was working closely with Brady. Signed Antonio Brown to provide an elite WR to the offense. Gave up a second rounder for Mohamed Sanu to get somebody, anybody, that could help at the trade deadline. And one by one they fell. Harry hurt in preseason. DT traded. AB cut. Flash waived. Sanu hurt. This was on top of losing Andrews to blood clots, Wynn to injury for the beginning of the year, and Develin’s career ending neck injury. There were no receivers getting open, and no running game to speak of. The frustration was palpable.
Poor timing, poor luck, poor execution. I wish Brady stayed, but I get why he didn’t. I wish AB was kept, but I get why he wasn’t. I see BB tried to draft, sign, and trade for help, but he missed the mark too many times.
Whatever though. Brady’s happy where he’s at now, good for him. I’m glad for him. But I knew sooner or later he would be gone, and I just hope we don’t have to wait too long for the next franchise QB to show himself. I trust in Belichick to find the answer. I’ve definitely been spoiled since the day Drew Bledsoe was drafted. And lastly, I don’t think Kraft is wrong necessarily in his remarks, but he’s not helping either with those remarks. Let’s not forget how little he fought to protect those picks that the commissioner’s office unfairly stole from us, time after time. Bent the knee to Goodell and let his coach and quarterback be slandered and punished. You keep losing first round picks over bogus crap and it catches up with you eventually. We can also thank Kraft Productions for us being without our 3rd rounder this year (not the comp pick but the original). As I said, plenty of blame to go around.
