When New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft was asked on Tuesday about missing out on free-agent wide receiver Calvin Ridley, it revealed a few issues with the current state of his team.
“There was one outstanding receiver that unfortunately we couldn’t close,” Kraft said at the NFL’s Annual League Meeting in Orlando, Fla. “It was not because of finance. He made clear his girlfriend wanted to be in the South, and we had a situation where the taxes were, like, almost 10 percent higher and we offered and were willing to keep going at that premium, but he didn’t want to be in the Northeast.
“Part of it might be the quarterback situation as well.”
In journalism, we call this “burying the lede.” The Patriots’ quarterback situation hangs over the entire operation right now, and Kraft knows it. Equipped with mounds of salary-cap space, the Patriots mostly have retained their own free agents and not made big splashes on outside players; they did bring back bridge signal-caller Jacoby Brissett on a low-cost, short-term deal.
That puts more pressure on New England, owners of the No. 3 overall pick, to land a quarterback via the 2024 NFL Draft. Is Kraft on board with that plan of action?
“As a fan, I put my fan hat on and I definitely would,” Kraft said. “In the end, you can’t win in this league consistently unless you have a first-rate quarterback and a first-rate coach.”
But as Kraft pointed out, these are uncharted waters for his organization, at least under his stewardship. They haven’t selected third overall since Kraft took over. They had the security of Tom Brady for nearly two decades. Now Bill Belichick is gone, too.
No one is truly sure how it will all go. The two teams ahead of the Patriots, the Bears at No. 1 and Commanders at No. 2, also are seeking quarterbacks. What if another team blows New England away with a trade offer?
Kraft is letting his new leaders, exec Eliot Wolf and head coach Jerod Mayo, steer the ship and make those calls. But the owner returned to his QB-or-bust stance.
“We’re gonna be open to whatever can come our way,” Kraft said. “In the end, I’ll let the team make the decision what they think is best. One way or another, I’d like to see us get a top-rate, young quarterback.”
Kraft is entrusting Wolf and Mayo to make that call. In the past, Belichick was the final say on personnel matters. But the owner believes a more collaborative process — even if someone has to make the final say on these decisions — could work out well during this new phase for the franchise.
“The major decisions in life that I’ve made, I’ve gone with my instincts,” Kraft said. “Sometimes people don’t agree, but I think Eliot has good training, good pedigree. We actually have a good group of young people. We’re starting new chapters in our development as we evolve here, and I like the young people doing this.
“We were in an environment previously where everything really funneled to the top, and maybe some of the young people that have worked real hard didn’t get a chance to have their positions heard or maybe didn’t speak up as much. I’ve encouraged them to be collaborative, and I think the combination of Jerod and (director of player personnel) Matt (Groh) and together with Eliot, I’m actually excited (with) what I’ve seen.”
Kraft also knows what he sees behind closed doors is different from what Patriots fans, spoiled by nearly a 20-year run of greatness, are seeing publicly. There’s no star quarterback. Few big-name free-agent signings. A 4-13 season in the rearview mirror. He’s preaching patience right now, even as strong as the desire to land a quarterback burns.
“I feel bad. I think we’ve actually made some improvements,” Kraft said. “I think we’re getting the system of functioning the way we did where this year, we signed a number of younger players that we had drafted or had been in our system.
“As a foundation, if you want to win consistently, you have to draft well and then get those players on the second contract. We started to do that this year. We pursued the people we wanted in free agency.”
Fans’ expectations might be low, but the owner is setting the bar familiarly high.
“My hope and expectation is to make the playoffs,” Kraft said. “That’s something realistically. … We have a new leadership team. We’re gonna have a lot of young players. We don’t know. A lot can happen. We might struggle more than I want. … I really feel like we have a good young team. I just hope we don’t struggle. But in the end, everything is chit-chat until you get on the field. …
“I believe we’re going in the right direction.”
