Haters of Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots are always looking for any little crack in the armor to get in some cheeky digs at the organization, and comments from owner Robert Kraft stand as their latest attempt to create strife and division.
Kraft claimed that the secret ingredient for turning this team around is to draft and evaluate talent better, hinting that part of the reason that the roster looks so threadbare without Tom Brady is the fact the organization from the top-down hasn’t done a good job of hitting on those evaluations.
"“I don’t feel we’ve done the greatest job the last few years and I really hope, and I believe — I have seen a different approach this year,” Kraft said."
Haters have interpreted this as a shot at Belichick, who famously holds control over both New England’s draft plans and final 53-man roster.
Unfortunately, this is simply a comment by an owner that was disappointed with how 2020 turned out, and he’s trying to get fans encouraged for 2021. Nothing more.
Robert Kraft did not, in fact, take a shot at Bill Belichick by noting to reporters that the Patriots haven't drafted well recently.
— The Big Lead (@TheBigLead) April 1, 2021
It is simply a fact, and one that Belichick clearly agrees with. https://t.co/tG27f6XXhT
Patriots haters are convinced Robert Kraft went after Bill Belichick.
Belichick hasn’t had the best run of picks in recent years, as evidenced by selections like N’Keal Harry, Devin Asiasi, and Dalton Keene, but that shouldn’t totally erase his decades of experience as a master talent identifier and developer.
Not only are the Patriots in possession of the No. 15 pick in the draft, but executive Nick Caserio has moved on to the Houston Texans. Perhaps with fewer voices in the room and a clearer, more streamlined vision of what he wants to accomplish this year, Belichick might be able to have a higher success rate with regards to these picks.
Belichick is not at war with Kraft. In fact, he probably agrees with him! Why else would he break kayfabe and outspend everyone else in free agency? Belichick is owning up to his mistakes and trying to rectify them in order to be competitive in 2021. Yeah … really sounds like a dysfunctional mess!
Kraft and Belichick might not have seen eye to eye on the Brady question, but they both agree that this team can still make the playoffs this year provided they had a great offseason, which they did, and draft smartly. Anyone trying to insist that Kraft’s comments were insults hurled at Belichick is trying to stir the pot and create unnecessary drama.
Kraft has never operated like this, so why would he start now?
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