Patriots Off-Season News

[Moranis]

The strangest soundbite from the 82-year-old Kraft pertained to his explanation for why 29-year-old wide receiver Calvin Ridley opted to reject an offer from the Patriots in free agency and instead sign with the Titans on a reported four-year deal that included $50 million in guaranteed money.

“We pursued the people we wanted in free agency. There was one outstanding receiver that unfortunately we couldn’t close. It was not a because of finance,” Kraft claimed. “He made clear that his girlfriend wanted to be in the south, and we had a situation where the taxes were like almost 10-percent higher. We offered—or were willing—to keep going to add that premium, but he didn’t want to be in the northeast. Part of it might be the quarterback situation as well.”

Honestly, why would a super wealthy athlete ever choose Boston to live unless they have ties to the area or the money is a lot better.  It is cold, not exactly a nightlife hot spot, and doesn't have the most inviting history.  It is just reality, but Kraft should know that and should just pay the premium.

I mean it’s certainly more appealing place to live than many nfl cities like Minnesota, Detroit, Cleveland, Baltimore, Cincinnati etc. Than are a lot of other similar cities that have their own issues. It’s not all Miami or LA

Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Green Bay... 

I mean, Florida and Texas will probably be the two most desirable states across a lot of sports, due to warm weather and no income tax.  But, pretty much everywhere else is a balance; would a guy rather play in New York (huge platform, amazing city) vs. Arizona (less winning, okay city).

money and winning are always going to be the 2 most important factors.  I was taking that as about equal.  And yes places like Buffalo are worse than Boston because the weather is a lot worse,  but the point remains, Boston isn't exactly a primo spot for high level athletes.

I'd say generally the athletes are going to go in some order Miami, LA, Vegas, NY, Atlanta, and Dallas.  Those are the places when winning and money are about the same that are going to have an inherent advantage.

[Roy H.]

The strangest soundbite from the 82-year-old Kraft pertained to his explanation for why 29-year-old wide receiver Calvin Ridley opted to reject an offer from the Patriots in free agency and instead sign with the Titans on a reported four-year deal that included $50 million in guaranteed money.

“We pursued the people we wanted in free agency. There was one outstanding receiver that unfortunately we couldn’t close. It was not a because of finance,” Kraft claimed. “He made clear that his girlfriend wanted to be in the south, and we had a situation where the taxes were like almost 10-percent higher. We offered—or were willing—to keep going to add that premium, but he didn’t want to be in the northeast. Part of it might be the quarterback situation as well.”

Honestly, why would a super wealthy athlete ever choose Boston to live unless they have ties to the area or the money is a lot better.  It is cold, not exactly a nightlife hot spot, and doesn't have the most inviting history.  It is just reality, but Kraft should know that and should just pay the premium.

I mean it’s certainly more appealing place to live than many nfl cities like Minnesota, Detroit, Cleveland, Baltimore, Cincinnati etc. Than are a lot of other similar cities that have their own issues. It’s not all Miami or LA

Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Green Bay... 

I mean, Florida and Texas will probably be the two most desirable states across a lot of sports, due to warm weather and no income tax.  But, pretty much everywhere else is a balance; would a guy rather play in New York (huge platform, amazing city) vs. Arizona (less winning, okay city).

money and winning are always going to be the 2 most important factors.  I was taking that as about equal.  And yes places like Buffalo are worse than Boston because the weather is a lot worse,  but the point remains, Boston isn't exactly a primo spot for high level athletes.

I'd say generally the athletes are going to go in some order Miami, LA, Vegas, NY, Atlanta, and Dallas.  Those are the places when winning and money are about the same that are going to have an inherent advantage.

I don't disagree that those places will be desirable locations, but there are a lot more factors we're not mentioning.  For instance, in the specific case of Ridley, he probably took into account New England's QB situation, and preferred Levis throwing him the ball over an unknown.  Coaching staffs, particularly position coaches, can attract players.  Plus, the stuff that you and I might look for when assessing a job:  how stable is management, what's the "vibe" I got during my interview, etc.

[smicker16]

The strangest soundbite from the 82-year-old Kraft pertained to his explanation for why 29-year-old wide receiver Calvin Ridley opted to reject an offer from the Patriots in free agency and instead sign with the Titans on a reported four-year deal that included $50 million in guaranteed money.

“We pursued the people we wanted in free agency. There was one outstanding receiver that unfortunately we couldn’t close. It was not a because of finance,” Kraft claimed. “He made clear that his girlfriend wanted to be in the south, and we had a situation where the taxes were like almost 10-percent higher. We offered—or were willing—to keep going to add that premium, but he didn’t want to be in the northeast. Part of it might be the quarterback situation as well.”

Honestly, why would a super wealthy athlete ever choose Boston to live unless they have ties to the area or the money is a lot better.  It is cold, not exactly a nightlife hot spot, and doesn't have the most inviting history.  It is just reality, but Kraft should know that and should just pay the premium.

I mean it’s certainly more appealing place to live than many nfl cities like Minnesota, Detroit, Cleveland, Baltimore, Cincinnati etc. Than are a lot of other similar cities that have their own issues. It’s not all Miami or LA

Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Green Bay... 

I mean, Florida and Texas will probably be the two most desirable states across a lot of sports, due to warm weather and no income tax.  But, pretty much everywhere else is a balance; would a guy rather play in New York (huge platform, amazing city) vs. Arizona (less winning, okay city).

money and winning are always going to be the 2 most important factors.  I was taking that as about equal.  And yes places like Buffalo are worse than Boston because the weather is a lot worse,  but the point remains, Boston isn't exactly a primo spot for high level athletes.

I'd say generally the athletes are going to go in some order Miami, LA, Vegas, NY, Atlanta, and Dallas.  Those are the places when winning and money are about the same that are going to have an inherent advantage.

I don't disagree that those places will be desirable locations, but there are a lot more factors we're not mentioning.  For instance, in the specific case of Ridley, he probably took into account New England's QB situation, and preferred Levis throwing him the ball over an unknown.  Coaching staffs, particularly position coaches, can attract players.  Plus, the stuff that you and I might look for when assessing a job:  how stable is management, what's the "vibe" I got during my interview, etc.

Yes, I do think that Florida and Texas are different of course because of the income tax situation.  But besides that I do not think the NFL has really seen the same shift that we have in the NBA.  It is not like we see people lining up to go play for the Chargers or even Vegas really.  Not sure if it is because of the non-guaranteed contracts or why, but the reasoning in the NFL does usually feel a bit different than the NBA.  Maybe since there are so many NFL players the marketing opportunities are not as big as the NBA where going to NY for a superstar likely has huge value. 

[Goldstar88]

What will Bob say next? 

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft appears to regret letting wide receiver Jakobi Meyers enter free agency last offseason.

"I shouldn't have let him go," Kraft said on Thursday's episode of The Shop alongside Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams.

Kraft was responding to Adams, who said he learned "so much" from playing with Meyers last year.

"He was basically the best-kept secret in the league, for me," Adams said. "Certain small things, within his routes. He's not the fastest guy in the world, so he's really good at changing, he can move within his routes, change of pace while he's running full speed, probably one of the best that I've seen so far."

[Vermont Green]

It turned out to be a bad call to essentially trade Meyers for JuJu Smith.  I heard the audio of Kraft. He wasn’t being entirely serious.

[Phantom255x]

This offseason has mostly been damage control from Robert Kraft, and he's somehow making it a lot worse in the process. Kinda crazy

[green_bballers13]

I've seen a decent amount of criticism heading Kraft's way. I get it- without Bill around, there are still angry people that want to blame someone.

Kraft is 82 yo, has already demonstrated very questionable decision making, and doesn't seem to know a lot about football. Yes, he loves the camera, but why do people think that he's making football decisions? I think he tells BB or Eliot Wolf how much to spend, but I don't think he is determining what players make this squad.

Kraft is like King Charles- a figurehead. I think it would be silly to blame England's GDP decline on him.

[SparzWizard]

What will Bob say next? 

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft appears to regret letting wide receiver Jakobi Meyers enter free agency last offseason.

"I shouldn't have let him go," Kraft said on Thursday's episode of The Shop alongside Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams.

Kraft was responding to Adams, who said he learned "so much" from playing with Meyers last year.

"He was basically the best-kept secret in the league, for me," Adams said. "Certain small things, within his routes. He's not the fastest guy in the world, so he's really good at changing, he can move within his routes, change of pace while he's running full speed, probably one of the best that I've seen so far."

So it's Kraft's fault and not Bill's fault for letting Meyers go.

It'll also be Kraft's fault for not landing big-named FAs or trading for depth now that the market is drying up etc. It may also be Kraft's fault depending on what they do with #3.

[Goldstar88]

What will Bob say next? 

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft appears to regret letting wide receiver Jakobi Meyers enter free agency last offseason.

"I shouldn't have let him go," Kraft said on Thursday's episode of The Shop alongside Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams.

Kraft was responding to Adams, who said he learned "so much" from playing with Meyers last year.

"He was basically the best-kept secret in the league, for me," Adams said. "Certain small things, within his routes. He's not the fastest guy in the world, so he's really good at changing, he can move within his routes, change of pace while he's running full speed, probably one of the best that I've seen so far."

So it's Kraft's fault and not Bill's fault for letting Meyers go.

It'll also be Kraft's fault for not landing big-named FAs or trading for depth now that the market is drying up etc. It may also be Kraft's fault depending on what they do with #3.

It’s both. Bill undervalued Myers and Bob should have stepped in to retain him. The difference between what the Pats offered and what Myers received from the Raiders was $1M. It was silly to lose him over that amount.

[green_bballers13]

What will Bob say next? 

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft appears to regret letting wide receiver Jakobi Meyers enter free agency last offseason.

"I shouldn't have let him go," Kraft said on Thursday's episode of The Shop alongside Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams.

Kraft was responding to Adams, who said he learned "so much" from playing with Meyers last year.

"He was basically the best-kept secret in the league, for me," Adams said. "Certain small things, within his routes. He's not the fastest guy in the world, so he's really good at changing, he can move within his routes, change of pace while he's running full speed, probably one of the best that I've seen so far."

So it's Kraft's fault and not Bill's fault for letting Meyers go.

It'll also be Kraft's fault for not landing big-named FAs or trading for depth now that the market is drying up etc. It may also be Kraft's fault depending on what they do with #3.

Think Kraft is getting it bad? Wait until they give up a TD in their first game and Jerod Mayo gets the Joe Mazzulla treatment.

[kraidstar]

What will Bob say next? 

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft appears to regret letting wide receiver Jakobi Meyers enter free agency last offseason.

"I shouldn't have let him go," Kraft said on Thursday's episode of The Shop alongside Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams.

Kraft was responding to Adams, who said he learned "so much" from playing with Meyers last year.

"He was basically the best-kept secret in the league, for me," Adams said. "Certain small things, within his routes. He's not the fastest guy in the world, so he's really good at changing, he can move within his routes, change of pace while he's running full speed, probably one of the best that I've seen so far."

So it's Kraft's fault and not Bill's fault for letting Meyers go.

It'll also be Kraft's fault for not landing big-named FAs or trading for depth now that the market is drying up etc. It may also be Kraft's fault depending on what they do with #3.

Think Kraft is getting it bad? Wait until they give up a TD in their first game and Jerod Mayo gets the Joe Mazzulla treatment.

A lot of the mythology surrounding the Patriots dynasty has been stripped away the last few years, hasn't it? it's like we've been teleported back to 2001, when we were hot on the heels of Kraft alienating and removing two future HOF coaches in Pete Carroll and Bill Parcells. Back when Bill Belichick looked like he couldn't run an offense to save his life and was on his way to being fired. Back when management couldn't draft worth a crap without Bill Parcells' influence, and their meddling led to the o-line and receiving corps deteriorating to a point where it literally nearly cost Drew Bledsoe his life.

The days when Pats fans were one of the most negative fanbases on the planet.

Ah, the good old days.

[Neurotic Guy]

I realize I’m a terrible fan for saying this, but I’m still high off the 20-year dynasty. I never expected the Pats to follow that with greatness anytime soon. 
I hope they draft the remaining QB at 3 and put their eggs in that basket.  The search for a top level QB is what today’s NFL is all about. If Maye/Daniels provides a reasonable shot at it, they’re mistaken not to take the chance IMO.

[green_bballers13]

I realize I’m a terrible fan for saying this, but I’m still high off the 20-year dynasty. I never expected the Pats to follow that with greatness anytime soon. 
I hope they draft the remaining QB at 3 and put their eggs in that basket.  The search for a top level QB is what today’s NFL is all about. If Maye/Daniels provides a reasonable shot at it, they’re mistaken not to take the chance IMO.

I don't think it makes you terrible. I think it makes you a well-adjusted, mature person with perspective. All good things come to an end in sports. We were lucky to have such an incredible experience.

After watching Daniels and Maye, I'm in on both of them.

[Goldstar88]

I realize I’m a terrible fan for saying this, but I’m still high off the 20-year dynasty. I never expected the Pats to follow that with greatness anytime soon. 
I hope they draft the remaining QB at 3 and put their eggs in that basket.  The search for a top level QB is what today’s NFL is all about. If Maye/Daniels provides a reasonable shot at it, they’re mistaken not to take the chance IMO.

I don't think it makes you terrible. I think it makes you a well-adjusted, mature person with perspective. All good things come to an end in sports. We were lucky to have such an incredible experience.

After watching Daniels and Maye, I'm in on both of them.

It’s good to have perspective, but I would like to have seen some improvement over the last 3 years. Hopefully last season was rock bottom and they can get back to a .500 team in the next few years. That’s all I’m hoping for at this point.

[Phantom255x]

I think people need to realize that there's now a very high chance McCarthy is taken in the Top-10 in the Draft, and probably even somewhere in the 4-6 range now. And also, a guy like Nix and/or Penix could be taken in the Top-20 as well, or possibly even higher if a QB-needy team trades up to get them like say, the Broncos, Raiders, Vikings or Saints?

Why do I bring that up? Because for the people saying "hey lets just trade back with a team like the Vikings for #11, #23 and 1-2 future picks and we'll take a QB in the late 1st/early 2nd", there's a pretty high chance even by pick #11 that you're gonna only be left with 1 or 2 of Nix/Penix. Or dare I say, none of them even. I guess you can then just use the pick(s) to beef up WR and OT, then take someone like Rattler in the 3rd or 4th round.

So are people fine with the 2024 season having a QB room of Brissett, Rattler and probably Zappe? Because that could realistically be the case IF they trade down that far and miss out on Penix. I personally am not high at all on Bo Nix either. But regardless, you could be picking the 6th QB in the 2024 Draft, so how high are the chances of a "hit" there?

I know the Pats have a ton of needs but I agree with @Neurotic Guy, you need the QB and also, sometimes having an excellent QB can mask the weaknesses in other areas. I think the play is to simply stay at #3 and take Daniels or Maye. But if you really aren't sold on either, I think you need to explore trade downs that stay in the 5-8 range, because if you go down to #11 you might not even get McCarthy and 1 of Penix/Nix since one of those guys could also rise and be taken before you. If you are at #11, a few teams behind you can decide to jump you as well.