Thanks Steve, today's column has a lot of great info.
First things first. If the comment below is factually accurate, I am appalled. I get that there are times when the business side of a team intersects with the football side: the owner wants to sell tickets and generate revenue.
But there is no way that the nepo baby should be influencing such an important decision as what to do with the #3 pick.
Just spitballin' here, but is it possible that Lombardi has the hyperbole volume turned up high in order to deflect scrutiny away from his friend?
I sure hope so, because neither Kraft should be influencing a football decision that involves critiquing college football players. The only time they should be involved is in monumenal cases involving a veteran, i.e., approving the trade of Drew Bledsoe, AH once the news broke, or not re-signing TB.
One of the most intriguing… and disturbing quotes came from former front office staffer Mike Lombardi, a close confidant of Bill Belichick. Lombardi said on his podcast GM Shuffle, “As a fan, Robert’s hoping they draft a QB. He knows what they’re doing. Like Shaughnessy said, EVERYONE knows Jonathan Kraft is the defacto General Manager.”
Let’s hope that Lombardi is mistaken on this particular issue. Owner interference is a quick way to football oblivion. Despite Robert Kraft’s insistence that the Patriots’ ownership is staying out of football operations, he has stated that he wants a QB taken with the #3 pick in the draft.
Is this “the collaboration” that everyone has been talking about?
Like many of you, I, too, want them to draft a quarterback at #3, but we aren’t professionals. While we all have opinions on things, this is why you hire pros to do your talent evaluation and team building.
