Breer: Patriots ownership has ‘stepped down’ in multi-year rebuild originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The New England Patriots’ embarrassing loss to the Miami Dolphins last Sunday was a significant setback in the team’s rebuild. As our Tom E. Curran wrote the next day, every member of the organization should be scrutinized over the final five games to determine if they should be part of the team’s long-term plans.
But in some ways, such setbacks were to be expected for a team with a revamped coaching staff and front office. And it seems the owner is aware of that.
When asked to describe how Patriots owner Robert Kraft and team president Jonathan Kraft might feel right now looking at a team that is 3-9 under first-year head coach Jerod Mayo (after going 4-13 in his last year of Bill Belichick as head coach), Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer suggested there is a sense of resignation and acceptance.
“The word I land on is ‘resignation,’” Breer said Tuesday Arbella early editionas seen in the video player above. “I think (the Krafts) understand where they stand. They understand it’s going to take a while. And I think the reality of ‘Look, this was always going to be an offseason rebuild’ has hit them. in the face.”
The Krafts pulled the plug on Belichick in January after the Patriots’ worst season since 1992 and installed a new head coach in Mayo, who brought in an entirely new coaching staff. Director of player personnel Eliot Wolf was elevated to de facto general manager, and while the front office appears to have hit a home run with first-round draft pick Drake Maye, Wolf and Co. not surrounding their starting quarterback with nearly enough talent. to date.
This team has the tools to improve that situation next season (a projected $140 million in cap space, the most in the NFL), but the reality is that improvement will take time.
“You’ve come to terms with where you are,” Breer continued. “You have too many holes in too many premium positions to get it done in a short time, and this is a transition year.
“I think a lot of people here have said this is year 2 of rebuilding. That’s not it. It’s year 1. So you’re definitely not out of the woods yet, and I think the Krafts have accepted that right. now.”
Our Patriots Insider Phil Perry reported earlier this season that Mayo and Wolf both have an “extremely good chance” of keeping their jobs in 2025, in part because the Krafts understand this will be a long rebuild. That said, there also needs to be a sense of urgency within the organization to set Maye up for success as quickly as possible. A franchise quarterback on a rookie contract is the NFL’s most valuable asset, and the sooner the Patriots can maximize that, the better.
The Krafts’ “resignation” may buy Mayo and Wolf some more time, but if Year 2 of the rebuild looks the same as Year 1, ownership’s mentality could quickly turn to urgency – and action.
See more from Breer, Perry and Early edition host Trenni Casey in the video below.
