Now we get to see if Kraft is cheap or shrewd

[Ring 6]

I don't think he is spending averse, he just wants the team to spend responsibly. Generally if you look at the teams with the highest real cash spending, it is teams that have made bad contracts. It's not like the "high spenders" list lines up neatly with the "successful teams" list. We'll see, I guess.

Last in player payroll in the league during his tenure

 

[Ring 6]

I just quoted two. Please keep up.

Literally no one is saying he spent too much. They are saying in addition to not spending enough he spent what he did spend poorly.

 

[Family]

Other than huffing only the purest of hopium...

What in the last 30 years of Bob Kraft's ownership would demonstrate that he's been willing to spend real money?

He ate (reportedly) 10 million to fire Mayo and hire a real coach.

Embarrasing take by you.

Also, 19% is a TON over the course of a decade.
Remember, last in cash spending over the last 5 years, the last 10 years, the last 20 years.
It's not an anomaly, it's a pattern.

We've had a rookie QB or Cam under payroll for the last 5 years. We haven't had a WR worth paying. That alone accounts for most of the discrepancy.

We would be at the bottom the last 20 years simply because league salary spending has increased so much in the last 5-10. The total cap 20 years ago was about 50 million. Manning was the highest player at 14 million. I'd be interested where the Patriots actually stood from 2004-2014 in total spending. Lumping everything together into 20 years becomes a meaningless stat.

Now we are in a position to spend. If we're still close to the cheapest the next 5 years, I will agree with you that it is a pattern.

 

[Wozzy]

Players said the Krafts were cheap in a poll conducted by the league.

Pete Carroll said Bob was cheap.

Why do people here take it personally that others say the Krafts are cheap, or blame posters here for repeating it?

NFL players from other teams, his own players and former employees call him cheap... it's not fan opinion at that point. It's fact.

 

[Ring 6]

He ate (reportedly) 10 million to fire Mayo and hire a real coach.



We've had a rookie QB or Cam under payroll for the last 5 years. We haven't had a WR worth paying. That alone accounts for most of the discrepancy.

We would be at the bottom the last 20 years simply because league salary spending has increased so much in the last 5-10. The total cap 20 years ago was about 50 million. Manning was the highest player at 14 million. I'd be interested where the Patriots actually stood from 2004-2014 in total spending. Lumping everything together into 20 years becomes a meaningless stat.

Now we are in a position to spend. If we're still close to the cheapest the next 5 years, I will agree with you that it is a pattern.

He left 40 mill on the table in not paying players so he can afford to pay mayo, although no one really knows his much.

Year by year they have always been near the bottom, which fluctuation. It’s not about since 2020,, and in fact they have spent more since 2020

 

[lancerman]

Players said the Krafts were cheap in a poll conducted by the league.

Pete Carroll said Bob was cheap.

Why do people here take it personally that others say the Krafts are cheap, or blame posters here for repeating it?

NFL players from other teams, his own players and former employees call him cheap... it's not fan opinion at that point. It's fact.

Kraft is cheap. Every single person I've ever talked to that had any type of job for the Patriots or Gillette has said Kraft pays like dirt.

 

[JohnJH]

Players said the Krafts were cheap in a poll conducted by the league.

Pete Carroll said Bob was cheap.

Why do people here take it personally that others say the Krafts are cheap, or blame posters here for repeating it?

NFL players from other teams, his own players and former employees call him cheap... it's not fan opinion at that point. It's fact.

Someone on here left a "I Don't Agree" Emoji when I stated that if Vrabel goes elsewhere because Kraft doesn't want to pony-up the money to pay what he's looking for in a contract, then the impression that Kraft is cheap will NEVER go away.

 

[JohnJH]

The difference is 19%, not night and day, IMO.

The data says PHL spent 19% more and got one less Super Bowl appearance and and one less Super Bowl win in those ten years.

If I was a PHL fan (god forbid!) I'd be pissed.

I don't get the "Kraft is cheap" narrative.

Does a cheap guy buy his team two airliner-sized private jets?

Personally I think it's a bit of an anti-Semitic dog whistle.

Both of those B-767's are Leased, not Bought.

 

[Toofy]

Embarrasing take by you.

Also, 19% is a TON over the course of a decade.
Remember, last in cash spending over the last 5 years, the last 10 years, the last 20 years.
It's not an anomaly, it's a pattern.
Last, 32nd in the league in real cash spending. Facilities graded out by players to be among the worst in the league. This is the 2nd highest valued franchise in the entire league, just behind the Cowboys, they are worth multiple billions. We're vastly outspent by Buffalo and Green Bay, the two smallest markets in the league by a good margin.

The fact that this isn't the #1 story in every sports page in Boston just speaks to how sychophantic the press is here.

Buffalo got bailouts handed by State .. Kraft is doing with own money. Vastly different.

 

[Huckleberry1]

I'm fine until your last sentence.

Of course, appearance is in the eye of the beholder. Wolf was not and is unlikely to ever be the GM of the New England Patriots.
===============
Lots of money was spent last year, much of it from the 2025 and 2026 cap years. Now, we will see whether we can do a better job than TEN did last year when we spend a huge amount AGAIN.

Very little is likely going to spent on re-signing our own, so we should definitely make a big splash in free agency.

Of course, ONE big question is the quality of the acquisitions. I expect Highsmith/Vrabel/Wolf/(Vrabel's man) to do well.

The other bid question IMO has already been answered. The coaching will be hugely better with Mayo and Covington gone.

What I would like to see happen is a free agent investment on the OL and DL, and a trade for Deebo ( a 4th and Kendrick Bourne) . This will give them the most options in the draft. What I don’t want them to do is pay 2nd tier players like superstars. This isn’t a race, it’s a step by step build until they have a true contender, and the way things are heading in the AFCE the timing should work out perfectly for them, as both the Jets and Fish are faltering, and neither will be able to hold onto key players in coming years, as the fish overspent to try and win a Lombardi in a window, and the Jets have all sorts of young talent with no QB and big paydays coming due for their young stars, like Quinnen Williams. If the Patriots are smart about it they will be able to capitalize on this over the next couple of years by building a strong team while holding an advantage cap wise.

 

[1960Pats]

Well.... I mean..... if you insist....

The name of that show shouldn't be SPEAK. It should be LOOK.

 

[1960Pats]

Yeah teams shouldn’t get god players.

It would be a blessing if they did.

 

[1960Pats]

I don't think he is spending averse, he just wants the team to spend responsibly. Generally if you look at the teams with the highest real cash spending, it is teams that have made bad contracts. It's not like the "high spenders" list lines up neatly with the "successful teams" list. We'll see, I guess.

If we need to look at anything to judge a team's success I'd go by the QB. The best ones win most of the time. I did read here earlier though that Philly tops the spending list over the last decade.

 

[TommyD4207]

Buffalo got bailouts handed by State .. Kraft is doing with own money. Vastly different.

Doing..what?

 

[Stu Pidassle]

Wait a second, do you guys realize the Pats spent over $146M in fully guaranteed money to juggernauts such as Kyle Dugger, Michel Owenu, Christian Barmore, Rham, Dogchow and Hunter? Or do does this only apply if they sign new FA's from other teams? Lol at some of you thinking the Pats are off the hook.

Between the 6 Titans players listed and the 6 Pats players listed, the Titans only spent less than $4M more (just over $150M) in fully guaranteed money. Let that sink in.

In the end, Mayo didn't walk back the "burning cash" comment. It just went right under your radar because they gave it to their own. Elliot Wolf is by far the worst GM I've ever seen.

That is a pretty disturbing number. One thing that stands out to me is that Wolf felt some attachment to these players because they were brought in under his watch. While draft and develop is a good philosophy, a good GM needs to know who to continue to invest in and who to replace.

 

[mnpatfan]

Well, Bob? We're waiting!

 

[Family]

Doing..what?

Kraft privately financed the construction of Gillette Stadium.

The cheap owner funded the only NFL stadium to be entirely privately financed.

He didn't take your tax dollars like every other owner.

The team would not likely be here without him.

That means no 6 Super Bowls.

 

[borg]

Kraft privately financed the construction of Gillette Stadium.

The cheap owner funded the only NFL stadium to be entirely privately financed.

The team would not likely be here without him.

That means no 6 Super Bowls.

And.............................in the past 10 years he's been the most frugal owner in terms of funding players

 

[Toofy]

And.............................in the past 10 years he's been the most frugal owner in terms of funding players

Frugal means value for money .. doesn't mean cheap...

When did frugality become to be frowned upon... ?

Look I am not defending Kraft , but we should be thankful we don't have wasteful contracts like Watson, cousins etc.

Last year contracts based on player performance are up for debate due to coaching or rather lack of ...

I am confident once we start winning, Kraft will start to open purse strings to align with the rest of the league . Patriots have 2nd highest brand equity and Kraft is a billionaire and am sure he knows as a investor or shareholder when he needs to open up the purse and when he needs to hold the purse strings tight. Give another couple of years to look at spending trends and team state of affairs before we make conclusions .

 

[Family]

The players union survey also shows the Krafts are cheap spending on peripheral items. There is not this much smoke without a fire.

The thread title: " Is Kraft cheap or shrewd?"

He kept the league's most expensive coach for 20 years with no hint of salary issue, despite they obviously didn't have love for each other.
He built a stadium and kept the team here.

Kraft has spent when he needs to. I'm not saying he's a generous man, and spends when he thinks it's not necessary.

I wouldn't have wasted much money on what was going on since the last Super Bowl either.

Let's see what happens now.