Robert Kraft said he knew all along who he wanted to replace Bill Belichick. There was no need to interview other candidates for the Patriots head coaching job.
Kraft already had his answer. After spending time with Jerod Mayo on a trip to Israel ini 2019, and observing him as a player and assistant coach through the years, the Patriots owner came to believe Mayo was special. Every instinct he had pointed to Mayo becoming an impactful leader.
BetMGM BET $5, GET $158! BONUS BETS
STATES: MA, KY, AZ, CO, IA, IL, IN, KS, LA, MD, MI, NJ, NY, OH, PA, TN, VA. Visit BetMGM.com for Terms and Conditions. 21 years of age or older to wager. MA Only. New Customer Offer. All promotions are subject to qualification and eligibility requirements. Rewards issued as non-withdrawable bonus bets. Bonus bets expire 7 days from issuance. In Partnership with MGM Springfield. Play it smart from the start with GameSense. GameSenseMA.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-327-5050 or visit gamblinghelplinema.org.
Mayo, who was introduced was the 15th head coach in Patriots history, certainly emits that kind of vibe. He boasts many qualities that will make him an effective head coach. But if Kraft really wants to help Mayo become successful, if he wants those instincts to prove true, his wallet has to back it up.
It’s no secret the Patriots have been one of the lowest cash spending teams in the NFL.
That reality has to change. Spending to the cap is one thing, but the real money that’s doled out, a figure that’s largely derived from guaranteed money in contracts and what’s actually spent, is a truer indicator of a team’s commitment to bringing in talent.
As we learned during the past year, Kraft and Belichick seemed to be on different sides of the narrative when it came to who was responsible for not having a worthy roster.
Belichick put it out there that the Patriots were, on average, one of the teams that didn’t spend a ton of cash. He wasn’t pointing a finger at himself. The implication was that Kraft was tight with the purse strings.
“Our spending in 2020, our spending in 2021, and our spending in 2022 — the aggregate of that — was we were 27th in the league in cash spending,” Belichick said during his 2022 end-of-season press conference. “Couple years we’re low, one year was high, but over a three-year period, we are one of the lowest spending teams in the league.”
To no surprise, the Patriots owner waged a counter attack during the league meetings in March when asked about having that label. Kraft put the ball back in Belichick’s lap.
“He’s never come to me, and not gotten everything he wanted from cash spending,” Kraft said of Belichick, speaking to a small group of reporters. “We have never set limits.
“This is a project of passion, and we want to win,” Kraft added. “Money-spending will never be the issue. I promise you. Or I’ll sell the team.”
During Wednesday’s introductory presser at the G-P Atrium at Gillette Stadium, Kraft made mention of the team’s draft position, and salary cap space as reasons the Patriots should be able to “position itself right.”
The only way that’s going to happen is if the Patriots make the right calls in the draft, and spend their money wisely. In recent years, those areas haven’t born much fruit.
In 2021, they dropped a bundle in free agency. They signed several players to big money contracts with large pots of guaranteed money and it turned out to be a mixed bag. Matthew Judon was worth the freight, and largely, so was Hunter Henry. Nelson Agholor and Jonnu Smith were not.
While Kraft prefers to build through the draft, he also knows the Patriots are at a crossroads. If they’re going to get up off the mat, they need to infuse the team with more talent.
Kraft understands the dynamic even more now with a new head coach. Whether it was Belichick being frugal, or the Patriots owner being somewhat disingenuous, Kraft is now faced with the opportunity to flex some monetary muscle to help Mayo’s cause, and show that willingness to spend.
Beyond showing prospective free agents the money with better guarantees, Kraft can also invest in Mayo’s coaching staff. Belichick typically employed one of the smallest staffs in the NFL. Part of the reason was likely due to Belichick’s salary being tied to the overall coaching budget. Given the $25 million Belichick reportedly made, there probably wasn’t much left over for a bigger staff.
Even though Mayo won’t make Belichick money, he should be free to add as many coaches as he’d like.
Adding good coaches, and bringing in more brain power is never a bad thing.
Of course, the way it’s constructed now, no one knows who’s actually picking the groceries, or, more to the point, who has the final say.
There are more questions, than answers.
Will Kraft have to spend his money in free agency on a quarterback (Kirk Cousins Baker Mayfield?), or will the Patriots rely on the draft? Same with addressing glaring needs at wide receiver and tackle. When it comes to free agency, though, the Patriots can’t continue to invest on the cheap for broken down players well past their prime. JuJu Smith-Schuster and Riley Reiff immediately come to mind on that count.
Mayo will have a say in some of these decisions. The point is, the Patriots can’t cheap out like the Red Sox and operate like a small market team.
They need to re-sign their key in-house free agents and cornerstone players (Mike Onwenu, Kyle Dugger) while also landing the top free agents they target to fill holes on the roster. They can’t let the DeAndre Hopkins of the world walk away like last season. They need to go the extra mile to make sure they get their man.
That’s what rebuilding teams do. Backed by Kraft, that’s what the Patriots need to do to give Mayo a chance. If they continue to be among the lowest cash spending teams in the league, that’s not going to cut it.
NFL fans can wager online on Massachusetts sports betting with enticing promo codes from top online sportsbooks. Use the FanDuel Massachusetts promo code and the DraftKings Massachusetts promo code for massive new user bonuses.
