Curran: What we learned from Robert Kraft and Bill Belichick at the NFL owners’ meetings

Robert Kraft and Bill Belichick caught up with reporters Monday at the NFL Owners’ Meetings in Arizona. A number of topics were covered including quarterback placement, Kraft’s belief in Belichick, and even a sensational rumor about Lamar Jackson to the Patriots.

While Kraft stressed the need for improvement, Belichick bragged about the past 25 years when asked why fans should feel optimistic about the team heading into 2023. For Tom E. Curran, Belichick’s sarcasm represented the disconnect between owner and head coach.

Curran talks about that and much more in his latest episode of the Patriots Talk Podcast, where he breaks down the biggest takeaways from owners’ meetings.

Patriots talk: Judging Patriots’ future after comments by NFL owners Robert Kraft and Bill Belichick | Listen and subscribe | Watch on YouTube

Kraft said he “feels bad” for Matt Patricia and admitted that the Patriots put him in a “difficult position” by making him the de facto offensive coordinator. Curran believes the decision to make Patricia and Joe Judge responsible for the crime angered Kraft.

“When I say there’s a lot going on behind the scenes where there’s inference and there’s a reading between the lines that has to go on, for me, a lot of it goes back to the decision that Bill made in 2022 that Matt Patricia and Joe Judge conducted it,” Curran said. the crime”.

“Not only did it put Mac in jeopardy, and not only did Robert Kraft hint last year in these owners’ meetings that he didn’t think it was a great idea — but Bill had free rein to make that decision — but it also put Matt Patricia in a bad place, which I think is what Still argues with Robert Kraft. Because I think he sold it down the river.”

What would it cost the Patriots to buy Lamar Jackson from the Ravens?

Curran points to the timing of Belichick’s decision, which came shortly after Kraft had expressed his desire for a first playoff win in the post-Tom Brady era.

“Think about the scene where he made that decision,” Curran said. Robert Kraft the previous year criticized the Patriots’ drafting, saying it needed to be better. Then he followed up in 2022 with a playoff appearance in 2021 and says, “I want to win the playoff.” However, the team made a decision on MacJones’ sophomore year As a quarterback, after a promising rookie year in which Bill Belichick said he made a drastic improvement in the season, he decided to hook him up with an offense he might have been better suited to being a master than the guys who were teaching him.

“That’s a hassle. And that to me marks the disconnect between Bill Belichick saying, ‘You gotta have optimism because of the last 25 years’ and Robert Kraft saying, ‘This is a business.'” What have you done to me recently? That’s what it’s about. Success. And Robert Kraft pushes Bill Belichick on that one.”

Tune in to the full episode to hear everything Curran took away from NFL owners’ meetings.

As discussed in the episode: How much pressure is on Belichick? Does everyone believe in Mack Jones? What is Jerrod Mayo’s plan? Spending, Kraft says, “wouldn’t be an issue” for the Patriots. Is Lamar Jackson worth rolling the dice?

Check out the latest episode of Patriots Talk Podcast On the NBC Sports Boston Podcast Network, OR Watch on YouTube.