Also the fact that he is from the area and was a long time season ticket holder helps (as opposed to a rich guy just buying the first team available like Jimmy Haslem).
I had this same thought. The win and basically every other team in the top 3 pick hunt winning (and Bill’s fun Gameday appearance) had the vibes too good. Doesn’t mean there’s nothing to see here, but the timing is suspect in a town and year where negativity has driven the conversation.
The Score up is a really good smart phone app, it's out of Canada. Not sure if they're reporting that or aggregating it.
No--I'd rather be a year too early than a year too late, especially with an EPICALLY important draft coming up.
I mean sure, the counter would be.... wouldn't you want a GM/Coach who has proven he can be very very good to go into an important draft than one with either a worse track record or none at all?
Are you basing the assumption in the first paragraph on the anecdote in the second? Or something else from Robert’s demeanor?
I don't accept that he's been a good GM lately or that his recent track record with a young QB should give me confidence. I wouldn't hate if he was the coach, and not GM, but it seems that won't be an option.
This is where I am on this. I don't buy any of this reporting at all, but we'll obviously wait and see what happens.
I’m with you. I get the impression that Jonathan cares more about winning than his dad. I’m excited for the Jonathan era.
People keep saying this, and I don't really know what it means.
I read CDs question as "do you want someone with no real track record, just hope?" vs. "or a guy with a 20-year run of awesome, unprecedented success in the salary cap era, followed by 3 years or so of suck?"
yeah, I don't think it's totally unreasonable to move on from Bill, but I also think people traditionally have done a bad job of evaluating Bill's GM work. He's at the very least average as a drafter, and traditionally was very good as a pro personnel guy. The last few years have been rough, and there were a couple big misses (Harry notably), but that happens to even the best GMs. If you add an ex-GM, that guy's record is highly unlikely to be on aggregate better than Bill's, if you go someone new... well there is a big risk there, some guys are really bad.
I'll start by saying I have no idea what Kraft (and Kraft) will do. But if they move on from Bill, it's not because they believe Bill is no longer good at his job.
I'm team keep BB, and in fact have in another thread put my money where my mouth is by betting for charity that he'll still be here next year. That said, the idea that he will trade down doesn't strike me as preposterous at all. Maybe not likely, but not implausible.
I mean, I don't *think* I'm stretching. I just think it's time. Why? I don't like his drafting over the past few seasons, some of his decisions, etc. I'm 60/40 on this, maybe 55/45. If you could tell me he'd agree to coach with someone else calling the shots, I'm fine. I'm more down on BB the GM than I am on BB the coach. I just don't think we can separate them at this point.
I'm gonna say no, because he's still the head of the broadcasting committee on behalf of the owners and has actively been taking meetings with all the big TV players over the last couple of months. The owners aren't going to just trust grandpa with that responsibility.
Bottoming out and having potentially a two win season with a historically bad offense with a roster constructed by Bill might have changed their minds?
This is an underrated point. It's losing plus the unwatchable version of the team that's been out there this year. It's sapping interest in the product. People show up for success or potential. If we had a young gunslinger putting up points but lost a lot of close games and were 3-10, the feeling might be different. (Hell, this may happen next year so we'll see.)
Sure, but that argument can be extended to almost anything. "Why did Sox get rid of Bloom, next guy might be worse."
He could have been down on BB afer 2018, but not down enough. Same in 2019, but he's closer, etc., etc. Eventually the line is crossed. We can obviously disagree with that, but each season adds more evidence to each side. Why is it odd to think Kraft finally has decided it's time? That's how most decisions are made.
Maybe, maybe not. All home games are sold out this year and there is still a massive wait list for season seats. I just don't see how the marginal loss of concessions for a small number of games this season will impact the potential product next year(s) when we know the defense will be very good, the team will likely draft a franchise QB and T/WR and have a ton of money to spend in FA. Regardless of who is HC of the NEP, the equity in the team is there even after a potential 3-4 win season.
except these aren't remotely comparable. Bloom generally failed in a sport where he should have an advantage over most of his opposing GMs and had no track record of real success in that role.
I think that Jonathan, who has never had a real job, will come out swinging his dick, given the opportunity.
yeah any time I see a guy whose Wikipedia shows nothing that is not directly related to his dad I assume he's going to be an incompetent prick so...
Over the last 10 years, every one of those teams has had a down year and it did absolutely nothing to those franchises. Not embarrassment, not loss of season ticket revenue, not equity. The NFL is more popular than it has ever been and, as we have seen, a down year or two will do nothing to this model of fandom.
Is a 2yr extension a lot though? Keeps the financial commitment pretty low. He probably didn't want him to be a lame duck and a 1yr extension is almost as bad. 2yrs is probably the right extension given the circumstances. If this was a 3-4yr extension that would say a lot more IMO.
Yeah, that game was also in a torrential rainstorm so it makes sense why fans wouldn't show up for it. There will be butts in seats for the KC game. The Jets game, who knows? But that game is sold out.
Even if people weren't showing up, ticket sale losses are mitigated. 40% of all team ticket sales go to revenue sharing, so its not like empty seats are going to really crush the Krafts either. And since the Krafts are one of only 4 ownership groups to own their own stadium - Dolphins, Patriots, Commanders, Panthers - they get 100% of concession and parking revenue instead of having to split it with stadium ownership (not to mention they don't have to pay millions to "rent" the stadium like these other teams).
Two betting sites (bookies and sportsline) list many of the same candidates (Mayo, Vrabel, Ben Johnson, Dan Quinn) as well as some wildcards (Bieniemy, Kingsbury). Some of these feel Patriots specific whereas others seem just to be generic Head Coaching favorites (I haven't heard any specific rumors of Dan Quinn connections to the Patriots, which would be one of the most shocking possible outcomes after Super Bowl LI.)
| Coach | Odds | Implied Probability |
| Jerod Mayo | +375 | 21.1% |
| Ben Johnson | +500 | 16.7% |
| Kliff Kingsbury | +575 | 14.8% |
| Mike Vrabel | +600 | 14.3% |
| Brian Callahan | +750 | 11.8% |
| Kellen Moore | +1000 | 9.1% |
| Ron Rivera | +1200 | 7.7% |
| Dan Quinn | +1800 | 5.3% |
| The Field | +425 | 19.1% |
I mean... wow that would be quite the move to go to Vrabel.... fire Bill to hire a demonstrably worse coach, because he was a former player here, then go get your GM? That's some Mark Davis/Dan Snyder shit.
Gibbs is an all time great coach but 2 of the 3 SB wins came in years impacted by strikes/lockouts 1982 and 1987.
I am not value judging this potential move. However I suspect the Kraft's reported interest in Vrabel has to be somewhat legit. He checks a lot of boxes. Known entity, relatively young, not part of the BB "coaching tree" (AKA the Least Giving Tree ever and if cited an indicator that someone you are talking with gets their sports takes from elsewhere), some success as a HC in his current role etc.
oh yeah, I wasn't saying you did, just that it's a terrible reason for a move, and feeds into the idea that the Krafts are both flailing and potentially setting the team up to fail.
Maybe but his players despised him and all talk about how toxic and terrible his locker room was
https://nesn.com/2023/12/patriots-rumors-has-robert-kraft-changed-stance-on-bill-belichick-successor/
