Robert Kraft's Press Conference

[AQPE]

I give The Scatback credit for putting himself out there today. That’s what a real leader does. The least surprising thing to me today was the absence of The Nebbish. He does not like to be held accountable and avoiding questions in this situation as the team President is totally on brand for him. A gutless 60 year old letting 82 year old Daddy take the hits.

 

[TommyD4207]

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.

Robert is owning this, because it's entirely his fault.

 

[n1997y]

At the end of the day, if Vrabel and/or Johnson are worth their salt and they are cool with Wolf and Highsmith then maybe, just maybe, we as fans should give the guys the benefit of the doubt this year and assume that perhaps these highly sought-after coaches know what the hell they are talking about.

Lulz. Come on, be realistic. You must know this place by now.

There is no doubt. Ask most posters here and if they were honest they’d tell you they’re seldom wrong but never in doubt.

 

[Force Zero Boomer]

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?

That's why the GM picks the coach. The GM is the more important hire and if Wolf is acting GM, then we are already off to a very bad start. Wolf is too young and inexperienced for a rebuild of this magnitude. Pick your GM, and let him get to work. The Krafts are doing this ass backwards, or worse, acting like the GM. Obviously they do not have the chops to pick a HC (see: Jerod Mayo Debacle).

 

[n1997y]

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

He may have got done wrong, but he also done wrong. Karma will out.

He done wrong going behind his boss’s back to get his boss fired when he knew he’d be the successor, and thus got himself appointed to a position he was not competent to hold.

 

[PatsFan2]

That's why the GM picks the coach. The GM is the more important hire and if Wolf is acting GM, then we are already off to a very bad start. Wolf is too young and inexperienced for a rebuild of this magnitude. Pick your GM, and let him get to work. The Krafts are doing this ass backwards, or worse, acting like the GM. Obviously they do not have the chops to pick a HC (see: Jerod Mayo Debacle).

RK did say or the way I interpreted it: the New HC can bring in his own OC. Also the New HC will have a say.

 

[n1997y]

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.

Wasn’t that back staircase already open, for Mayo’s meetings with Robert before BB was fired?

 

[Force Zero Boomer]

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.

Found an image of data collection sheet

 

[Wax Frog]

The Nebbish.

 

[Froob]

I give The Scatback credit for putting himself out there today. That’s what a real leader does. The least surprising thing to me today was the absence of The Nebbish. He does not like to be held accountable and avoiding questions in this situation as the team President is totally on brand for him. A gutless 60 year old letting 82 year old Daddy take the hits.

Why are folks so obsessed with Jonathan Kraft

 

[mgcolby]

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.

I honestly do not recall the story you referenced with the stairs.

 

[Ross12]

 

[dliverey44]

Moving the goalposts huh? Now it's the area scouts that were on an old system. If the reports are true that if they hire Vrabel he might keep some FO personnel and if they hire Johnson he will clean house.

I will take the latter every day and all day on Sunday.

Are you related to someone in the Pats front office by chance?

not moving goalposts at all. Follow this timeline with me, The college football season start in August and ends in December and then the bowl games and all star games. If the new grading system was not implemented until after the college season was over, then yes area scouts were using the old system assuming that BB would be back. I am not related to anyone in the Pats office, why you ask?

 

[mgcolby]

Found an image of data collection sheet

Funny grading story involving acronyms. I was at a little league baseball tryout as a coach and they gave you a list of names with a notes section for each kid. I used a simple number system.

I start talking with another coach and he is using a number system as well. But next to some of his lowest grades he has "GLM" annotated. So I ask him what does GLM stand for. He responds, it depends on who is asking. If my wife is asking it stands for good lateral movement. If it's you it stands for good looking mom. His concept was if he had to draft a kid who was bad at baseball, he might as well get a benefit .

 

[ViperGTS]

not moving goalposts at all. Follow this timeline with me, The college football season start in August and ends in December and then the bowl games and all star games. If the new grading system was not implemented until after the college season was over, then yes area scouts were using the old system assuming that BB would be back. I am not related to anyone in the Pats office, why you ask?

Because you seem awfully intent on defending the Pats front office. Now we are hearing it wasn't "fully" implemented last season. Too much BS flying around. Those guys have been around for years, we kept hearing they would suggest players to draft and Bill told them to pound sand ie it was his fault.

Bill is gone, why couldn't they draft those types of guys regardless of any BS grading system? Smells to high heaven. They had their chance, they screwed it up now they don't get another one. Pretty easy.

 

[PatsfanTN]

Kraft expects Mayo will be more successful with more experience. So why was he hired again...?

The BB move happened faster than expected. The succession clause got them.

 

[reflexblue]

I don’t have a problem if Wolf stays, if he gets a boss. He can have a role, but he can’t be in charge. I see him as adept at gathering information but bad at making devisions and absolutely not the guy to be negotiating with and persuading free agents

i wanted to see what wolf could do, but after seeing that he only hit on One maybe Two (milton) picks even though he was picking high in each round. Then getting snookered by buffalo in the second rnd was the cherry on the cake of my dissatication. So agree, the need a real gm with experiance

 

[dliverey44]

Not defending just throwing out facts to combat your misinformation. when the story was reported about the grading change and took note of the dates you would have known.

I have no vested interest in Wolf or Highsmith staying nor do I care if a new coach wants his own front office guys and Kraft hires them. What does irritate the **** out of me is when people talk **** but have no idea what they are talking about. I am frustrated to, but that doesn't mean we are allowed to ignore facts.

Edit: More goes into scouting than watching youtube highlights, so not quite as easy when you have been given grades for one thing but you are looking for something else.

 

[mike_usagisan]

They weren’t able to properly draft and grade free agents because the grading system used numbers rather than letters? This doesn’t pass the smell test.

 

[Ross12]

They weren’t able to properly draft and grade free agents because the grading system used numbers rather than letters? This doesn’t pass the smell test.

I think it’s more complicated than that