GloryDaze4877
Barely Irrelevant
Let me preface this by saying a few things. Been a long time Pats fan (1976) and am old enough to remember the days when the Patriots actually were the laughingstock of the league during the Sullivan era.Things obviously change over time, but I don’t see Kraft as the dottering old fool some people do. I remember when Kiam and Orthwein owned the team and it was in real danger of being moved to St Louis. Kraft brought respectability back and resurrected the franchise.
That said, things need to change with the franchise. I was a huge Belichick guy up until the last couple of years when I believe he kind of lost it. Over 20 years though, he was the best coach in the NFL and also tied in with his GM’s. Not sure what happened, but once he couldn’t coexist with Brady, things started to go south. I believe that Kraft let Bill run everything until he felt he couldn’t anymore.
The down side of that is that with Bill being the czar and doing everything his own way, the Patriots are now behind the curve compared to teams like the Chiefs, Ravens, Eagles and 49ers. IMO, not only do the Patriots need to find the right coach, the need to build out the infrastructure of the organization so that they have a legit structure and aren’t dependent on one guy (like they were with BB). Kraft has gotten the rep of being cheap. I have no idea whether that’s true or not, but he needs to spend money on coaching, analytics and better scouting if this team is going to be relevant again.
I think if he’s guilty of anything, it’s thinking that just changing out Bill was going to fix everything. He saw Mayo as Bill’s successor and got spooked when he thought he might lose him a couple of years ago. Putting the “HC in waiting” thing in his contract was a mistake and it obviously caused issues internally with BB and other coaches. Mayo was doomed to fail by his own lack of experience and by the lack of talent he inherited. As the season progressed, it became apparent that he was in over his head.
I believe that Kraft would have preferred bringing him back and adding/replacing other personnel. After the Arizona and Green Bay games, that changed. The availability of a coach like Vrabel likely sealed the deal and sped up the timeline.
As far as the nuts and bolts goes, I think there are several ways they could go and be successful as long as they build the infrastructure and get a good coach who is all about teamwork and communication and is forward thinking. They got a huge piece when they drafted Maye.
Personally, I think an offensive-minded coach might be the way to go, only so that they can continue to develop Maye as quickly as possible. That said, a defensive guy like Vrabel could work as long as he’s bringing a good offensive mind. The only danger in that is losing the OC to a head coaching promotion. Perhaps a guy like McDaniels, who is proven, but isn’t in danger of getting another HC job would be the way to go. He would be able to develop Maye and bring continuity.
I know a lot of people are upset that Wolf hasn’t been fired as well, but three things about that. The guy is respected around the league and has been employed in several different organizations, which I believe is important. Second, Mayo was not Wolf’s hire, he was Krafts. I highly doubt Mayo would have been his choice. Third, the scouting changes that Wolf supposedly started implementing after last season were likely not utilized at the 2024 draft because they had already been using the old methods all year. It might be the smart play to stick with them for now and see how it works.
The first thing they should do is conduct a thorough search for coach (and possibly GM) even if Vrabel is the preferred guy (see Chargers last year with Harbaugh). This situation should be fluid depending on where the coaching search leads them. If it means bringing someone in above Wolf or in place of him that will work better with the coach, then do it. I think they might be able to retain Wolf as part of the FO and it would be a good thing.
They need to get this thing right.
That said, things need to change with the franchise. I was a huge Belichick guy up until the last couple of years when I believe he kind of lost it. Over 20 years though, he was the best coach in the NFL and also tied in with his GM’s. Not sure what happened, but once he couldn’t coexist with Brady, things started to go south. I believe that Kraft let Bill run everything until he felt he couldn’t anymore.
The down side of that is that with Bill being the czar and doing everything his own way, the Patriots are now behind the curve compared to teams like the Chiefs, Ravens, Eagles and 49ers. IMO, not only do the Patriots need to find the right coach, the need to build out the infrastructure of the organization so that they have a legit structure and aren’t dependent on one guy (like they were with BB). Kraft has gotten the rep of being cheap. I have no idea whether that’s true or not, but he needs to spend money on coaching, analytics and better scouting if this team is going to be relevant again.
I think if he’s guilty of anything, it’s thinking that just changing out Bill was going to fix everything. He saw Mayo as Bill’s successor and got spooked when he thought he might lose him a couple of years ago. Putting the “HC in waiting” thing in his contract was a mistake and it obviously caused issues internally with BB and other coaches. Mayo was doomed to fail by his own lack of experience and by the lack of talent he inherited. As the season progressed, it became apparent that he was in over his head.
I believe that Kraft would have preferred bringing him back and adding/replacing other personnel. After the Arizona and Green Bay games, that changed. The availability of a coach like Vrabel likely sealed the deal and sped up the timeline.
As far as the nuts and bolts goes, I think there are several ways they could go and be successful as long as they build the infrastructure and get a good coach who is all about teamwork and communication and is forward thinking. They got a huge piece when they drafted Maye.
Personally, I think an offensive-minded coach might be the way to go, only so that they can continue to develop Maye as quickly as possible. That said, a defensive guy like Vrabel could work as long as he’s bringing a good offensive mind. The only danger in that is losing the OC to a head coaching promotion. Perhaps a guy like McDaniels, who is proven, but isn’t in danger of getting another HC job would be the way to go. He would be able to develop Maye and bring continuity.
I know a lot of people are upset that Wolf hasn’t been fired as well, but three things about that. The guy is respected around the league and has been employed in several different organizations, which I believe is important. Second, Mayo was not Wolf’s hire, he was Krafts. I highly doubt Mayo would have been his choice. Third, the scouting changes that Wolf supposedly started implementing after last season were likely not utilized at the 2024 draft because they had already been using the old methods all year. It might be the smart play to stick with them for now and see how it works.
The first thing they should do is conduct a thorough search for coach (and possibly GM) even if Vrabel is the preferred guy (see Chargers last year with Harbaugh). This situation should be fluid depending on where the coaching search leads them. If it means bringing someone in above Wolf or in place of him that will work better with the coach, then do it. I think they might be able to retain Wolf as part of the FO and it would be a good thing.
They need to get this thing right.
