Jonathan Kraft’s screen time during the Patriots-Cardinals game last Sunday caused more drama within the team.
Kraft was filmed by the CBS broadcast with pen and paper in hand during a Patriots offensive series in the second quarter. Kraft, who was seated next to Patriots owner and father Robert Kraft, seemed frustrated with the way things were going and lip readers thought he called the Patriots’ offensive comments “terrible.”
Head coach Jerod Mayo and offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt faced questions about Jonathan Kraft’s actions this week as rumors swirled about Mayo and Van Pelt’s job security.
Mike Girardi of the Boston Sports Journal sought to provide more context to Kraft’s note-taking, but Girardi even expressed skepticism about the information he received.
“I was told he was taking notes and it had nothing to do with football,” Girardi said Friday on WEEI. “Now I’m just telling you what I was told. I’m not telling you that I believe what I was told. But that’s what I was told.
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It’s hard to imagine Kraft doing anything other than taking notes about the game. What he did with those notes and whether he tries to give suggestions about the game is a completely different story.
It definitely seems like Kraft has taken on a bigger role since Bill Belichick was fired. The Athletic’s Diana Russini reported that Kraft was “heavily involved in decision-making” when it came to New England potentially trading its No. 3 pick in April.
And as Girardi pointed out, an owner — or in this case the son of an owner who holds the title of Patriots president — meddling in football decisions is never a good thing.
“I’m sorry but there isn’t a single owner in the National Football League, not even Jerry Jones who played college football – and I’m talking about real owners, not the 2% of owners like Tom Brady – who have played the game and know what they’re talking about,” Girardi said. “They are fans. They are wealthy fans and have a lot of influence and power. But that doesn’t mean you know what you’re looking at or what you’re talking about.
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