Mike Reiss offers his take on Robert Kraft's comments expressing his frustration with the way the Patriots lost in to the Jets in the divisional round.
I thought the fan in Kraft came out with those remarks. I didn't read into them any further in terms of what it might mean for Belichick's future from an ownership perspective. I think Kraft realizes he has one of the top coaches in the NFL and he also values the stability of having the same coach in place for a 12th season. So I don't think Belichick needs to go deep in the playoffs or anything like that. On the flip side, I did wonder what Belichick thought of the remarks. I can't imagine he'd be thrilled.
I respect what Kraft has done as owner of the Patriots, although that doesn't mean I would shy away from criticism if I felt it was warranted. As for his remarks, I appreciated them as a reporter covering the team because they seemed to be unfiltered and reflected what he was really thinking. That's always the goal -- to uncover the truth. If I was removing myself from the job, and focusing solely on what was in the best interests of the Patriots, I would agree with your point that Kraft's remarks didn't seem to do anything to help the team.
Mike Reiss sees the potential in safety Patrick Chung.
I know Bruschi himself really liked what he saw from Chung, saying he reminds him of a young Lawyer Milloy. I thought we saw a lot of growth from Chung from last year to this year, where he went from playing 20 percent of the snaps to 70 percent. That growth should continue, and with full health, he has the potential to be a top safety.
Adam Schein (Fox Sports) What's the Patriots plan for 2011?
Will Logan Mankins get a long-term deal? He deserves it with his play, but the All-Pro guard made his early season holdout very personal with the Kraft family. And it is going to be interesting to see if the Patriots will spend money in the offseason. You get the feeling from talking with people in the know that there was a bit of a divide in the organization last year on how to attack free agency, with some wanting Julius Peppers and others not wanting to pay.
TEAM TALK
- Ask PFW: Questions about possible trades and free agent signings top this week's mailbag.
- Erik Scalavino reviews the roster to see where the most pressing needs may be: Tight End.
- Patriots Today - Mayo gets advice from Lewis. (2.57 min. video)
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PFW in Progress - 2/08/11 Edition: the PFW crew recap Super Bowl XLV, continue their discussion on the collective bargaining agreement between NFL owners and players and discuss the biggest needs for the Patriots heading into free agency and the Draft.(2 hr audio)
LOCAL LINKS
- Ian Rapoport reports Roger Goodell vows to "focus entirely on trying to get an agreement."
- Mike Reiss reports Patrick Chung has put the botched fake punt is behind him, although it was hard to watch the Super Bowl seeing two teams the Patriots had beaten in the regular season.
- Shalise Manza Young points out since the Patriots last won the title in '04, every champion has either beaten New England or suffered a close loss to it during the regular season.
- Jeff Howe suggests the addition of Drew Stanton would make for good backup QB competition at Patriots Training Camp.
- Mike Reiss answers his weekly Patriots Mailbag: Kraft's comments on game plan vs. Jets raise questions.
- Christopher Price reports the Patriots and Bears were close to a deal that would have sent Greg Olsen to New England last season.
- Jeff Howe lists the top 10 best active QBs in the NFL with Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady and Drew Brees fighting for the top spot.
- WEEI Mock Draft, Take 3: Patriots take OT Anthony Castonzo (Boston College) at 17 and OLB Akeem Ayers (UCLA) at 28.
- Mike Rodak focuses on who would be a Free-Agent fit at each position: Wide Receiver.
- Christopher Price explores potential free agents for the Patriots: OLB LaMarr Woodley (Steelers)
- Jeff Howe puts LaMarr Woodley in the same category as Adalius Thomas and unlikely to land in Foxboro.
NATIONAL NEWS
- Tim Graham (ESPN) Parcells, Bledsoe and the Hall of Fame.
- Bill Brink (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) Consumer law part of Super Bowl ticket dispute.
- Adam Schein (Fox Sports) Storylines to watch for 2011 season.
- Sean Leahy (USA Today) In CBA tiff, NFL and union looking for who will blink first.
- Alex Marvez (Fox Sports) Annual London NFL game in jeopardy.
- Dan Pompei (Nat'l Football Post) Breaking down the Hall of Fame voting: The conundrum over contributors, and how to fix it.
- Peter King (SI) MMQB Tuesday Edition: From the Ifs And Buts Dept. ...
- Tim Graham (ESPN) As exciting as a box of mocks: Here are the latest AFC East draft projections.
- Peter Schrager (Fox Sports) Post-Super Bowl NFL mock draft. Pats pick DE/LB Cameron Jordan (California) at 17 and OT Anthony Castonzo (Boston College) at 28.
- Russ Lande (Sporting News) Draft Dish: Illinois' Corey Liuget flying up boards.
- Pete Prisco (CBS Sports) Ultimate Power Rankings. Pats sixth.