Robert Kraft's Press Conference

[ViperGTS]

I've heard them say that as recently as last offseason as well.

Yeah I am thinking I heard that too, which got people a bit excited for a change. I think you are right, might have to do some digging about that.

 

[n1997y]

It also means that Jonathan is more involved in the day-to-day, because Highsmith was his hire.
Whether that's a good thing or not remains to be seen.

I thought Robert’s answer when asked about Jonathan was very striking. He did not ascribe a significant role to Jonathan at all. Seems Robert is owning this, and making it clear he still owns the team.

 

[n1997y]

Oh and Wolf has a new grading scale apparently and Krafty is excited about it. Nice, where was this system last year?

I thought he said it was implemented last year.

 

[n1997y]

I mean, the problem here is, the media has done a terrible job making connections with the organization post-Belichick, and doesn't know who to talk to.

Even now, nobody's mentioning Highsmith, and nobody's mentioning Jonathan.

Don’t know about Highsmith but I’m betting Jonathan does not talk out of school. At all. I’d bet there are very few people who have his direct phone number. He would only be accessible in formal settings, and he’s not out front in this Robert is. Highsmith may be like that too. If he’s smart he is.

 

[DaBruinz]

Owners correct their mistakes quickly you call it meddling.

You clearly have no clue what meddling is. Go away.

 

[DaBruinz]

I thought he said it was implemented last year.

It was. II wouldn't be surprised if Wolf was using HIS scale the entire time and feeding BB the info based off that.

 

[n1997y]

This is how it usually works. A GM is hired, then he starts the coaching search and finds his coach. It an work the other way around but thats generally a bit rare.

This is a ****show. You have the *GM* (Dir player per) from the previous failed regime, and has been there for years doing interviews for a coach.

This is just Kraft not wanting to clean house completely. Top to bottom and restart it in a new image.

No. Director of Player Personnel is not a GM, it’s a job that should report to a GM. But Pats don’t have a GM so he either reports directly to Jonathan, or indirectly through Robyn. Either way they’re likely fairly hands off in his area of responsibility, but that’s going to be much narrower than a GM’s would be, and his boss will be doing the rest of the GM’s job, not Wolf. That’s all a carry over from BB, his precipitous firing left things a mess in that area and they’re still getting them sorted out. The results of this hiring cycle will help in that area, especially if Vrabes insists on bringing in an experienced GM.

 

[DaBruinz]

I think it's the best position currently available. And I personally believe he is the Kraft's target. I think they did the meddling because they picked a guy that had no clue.

Vrabel would be treated differently for no other reason than he would demand it.

I don't think people understand what I mean by meddling. I mean that Kraft was undercutting Mayo constantly from Day 1. I wouldn't be surprised to find out that the back staircase was re-opened the way it had been during the Pete Carroll years.

 

[n1997y]

He was, but he didn't get here full-time until July, he had to wrap up as Football Ops Dir at Miami.

You consistently seem very knowledgeable.

What are you doing posting on here?

Please, don’t stop!

 

[n1997y]

Wolf is going to be a hard sell to coaches if his intent is to blame coaching with him sitting in the interviews. Guy like Rex Ryan would eat that up but that's not who will be there.

First, how do we know his intent to blame coaching with him sitting in the interviews?

Plus, those interviews are to fill the position of coach which is vacant because the previous coach sucked so bad his patron fired him. So it’s pretty clearly established that coaching is blameworthy.

Seems That you’re saying is that it will be a hard sell to hire coaches if they think they’ll get fired for doing a crap job. Is that it?

 

[Drunken Cicerone]

Mayo got done wrong, he certainly wasn’t ready for this job by any metric. It’s idiotic they promoted him to HC. 2-3 years as a DC and maybe he’d have a shot. But this was doomed from the start.

And the fact that Pats fans en masse worried he wasn’t ready and they hired him on like he was the unmistakable #1 choose anyway speaks really negatively for the ownerships ability to put this team and staff together

 

[Ring 6]

I don't think people understand what I mean by meddling. I mean that Kraft was undercutting Mayo constantly from Day 1. I wouldn't be surprised to find out that the back staircase was re-opened the way it had been during the Pete Carroll years.

How did Kraft undercut Mayo?

 

[n1997y]

How would it work if/when it comes out in the interview that the coaching candidate wants to bring in his own personnel guy when the interviewers include the current personnel guy? Awkward at best.

Ask Atlanta. Or BB.

 

[PatsFan2]

You clearly have no clue what meddling is. Go away.

DB: you say the nicest things welcome back.

 

[n1997y]

If that's awkward for the candidate then they don't deserve the job. They will come in and say this is what I need for the job. I won't be successful without my own guy running the draft board.

It will be up to the Krafts to determine if they are willing to accept that.

Maybe they already know that they are, but they are leaning on Wolf and Highsmith as their "football guys" to make sure that everything is sound. Maybe Wolf and Highsmith already know that they will inevitably have someone above them making the final pick and they are simply helping to advise.

There will not be a single interview, there will be at least two. Second one likely just the candidate, Robert, and Jonathan. That’s when the deal will be struck, including any additional hires.

 

[n1997y]

There need to be checks and balances in my opinion. For instance, Wolf runs the draft and builds the "90 man roster" but the HC gets to trim it down to the "53 man roster" and have final say on managing that roster during the season, with help from the front office. In free agency, it is collaborative with Wolf driving but the HC can also independently identify and initiate a push to sign specific players he wants to acquire.

Not sure I agree. In my experience checks and balances are often tools for holding exceptional individuals back to keep their performance from embarrassing those around them.

For example, Wolf runs draft and FA to build a roster according to his vision of what the team should be, and HC has to pick 53 players from a 90 man roster that is totally dissonant with the systems he plans to run.

Thing is, there can only be one driver. Is it the HC?

 

[n1997y]

Bob is very much a fanboy and probably tends to not be as cold as needs to be sometimes. I get the sense that Jonathan is not nearly as emotionally attached to the franchise as his dad is and will run it more like an actual business.

For better and worse.

 

[n1997y]

Is that good or bad

Yes.
Both.

 

[n1997y]

Can't wait to see who gets scape goated for UNC failing

WT actual F does that have to do with this?

Gratuitous Bill bashing make you feel your weenie is bigger?

 

[n1997y]

Highsmith and his grading scale came in late in '24. They'll never share it, but I'd love to see it applied retroactively to the '24 draft.

I hope back testing is a part of any major schematic changes in grading. It’s SOP in other fields. Should be in this area too.