Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00Tommy Curran NBC Sports Boston joins us at high noon every Tuesday here on Jones
00:05and Keith that was Elliot Wolfe discussing how much power and influence
00:08he has on the number four pick. Pretty much told you. It's up to Vrabel and the coaching
00:15staff on where he'd play and if we'd even pick him. So pretty telling answer
00:19there from Elliot Wolfe along with our Robert Kraft discussion all day long
00:23speaking earlier today in Florida. Tommy Curran how we doing this week? Great
00:28I think it's been productive I like this because it's basically a state of the
00:31Patriots week and you get a real appraisal as to what they think they've
00:36accomplished what they're trying to accomplish and what their expectations
00:40are so I like this week. So it's always a noteworthy week you highlighted this in
00:45a column earlier in the week you expected Robert Kraft to speak he did
00:47earlier today he highlighted the team's spending pushing back on any narratives
00:52about limiting spending he touched on the team planes a succession plan the
00:57last couple of years his goals for this season I might be leaving other stuff
01:01out what jumped out to you was your main takeaway from Robert this morning. What
01:05jumped out to me was how if you contrast it to last year I'll talk about this on
01:11quick glance you can hear the sound you guys probably have it I hope we don't
01:15struggle I think we might struggle and then this year it's playoffs I am so
01:22optimistic we have a foundation the last two years they've gone eight and
01:2626 they have been in a rebuild talking about creating a foundation now Robert
01:32believes the foundation is late I don't know what happened necessarily between
01:37January and March in signing Morgan Moses and Milton Williams and Carlton
01:42Davis and Robert Spillane and signing Stefan Diggs that's that's not a
01:45foundation those are those are boards the only foundational pieces the Patriots
01:50have right now I believe a Gonzalez Milton Williams certainly and Christian
01:55and Drake May that's it those are the only foundational pieces so I'm sure the
02:00exuberance is related to Brable and his authority and assuredness but they still
02:07have a wicked long way to go which is what Frable I think is trying to
02:10underline so I think that's an interesting push-pull going on between
02:13Brable saying sorry to go on and on Keith between Brable saying hey we won
02:21March yay break out the sheet cake and Robert saying I really this is a year
02:26yeah it's really a fascinating dynamic you know we talked a lot about the
02:32spending last week and today when he was talking he mentioned how you know over
02:36the last 31 years he's never stood in the way of when you know his guys want
02:40to spend money you feel you think Parcells and Belichick and even Gerard
02:45Mayo would share that same sentiment I certainly know that Belichick would 1
02:51million percent I mean Belichick actually for that told you guys this
02:57remember you guys know your Patriots history why doesn't it ever think in
03:00think back to the late 90s who didn't get a contract everybody got a contract
03:07let's look at a hundred and three million dollar contract you had McGinnis
03:11getting ridiculously outsized contracts Ted Johnson paid at the top of the
03:15market Todd Ruchi Max Lane everybody got money to the point where when Belichick
03:20came he goes what the hell have you done here you can't buy everybody and he got
03:24them back in terms of economically sound bill really threw nickels around like
03:31manhole covers now that's not to say the crafts weren't delighted by that and
03:35that's probably a major portion of the reason they hired him but I don't think
03:38that Bill could with a straight face ever say they hosed him on money they
03:41wanted to pay Brady 25 30 million dollars a year it's Bill's like no we're
03:47not doing that he's 42 so I I don't think the bill could ever say that what
03:52about last year when Mayo said they were gonna burn cash it was very out of there
03:56like oh we have all the salary cap money and we're gonna burn cash and then they
03:59kind of followed that up I only really re-signing a few of the guys that they
04:03had on the team I disagree with that because first of all burning cash that
04:09was spoken before I think Mayo really had an appreciation for just how
04:13outright craptastic the free agent group was going to be across the league
04:18and then in turn you know Tyrone Smith or you know I can't remember Jonah
04:25Jackson I think the guy's name was that with Jonah Williams has already been
04:28released those are the best tackles there last year so they overspent on
04:32Farmore by a lot they overspent on Ramond Ray Stevenson by a lot they
04:37overspent on one on when they overspent on Duggar those guys didn't need those
04:42kinds of contracts they went absolutely bananas they did literally burn cash not
04:47well but you know Hunter Henry and on when it will resize they will at the top
04:51of their positions I just think that they're not spending it well they're not
04:57drafting well they have to keep going into free agency but the notion that
05:00they're they're not spending I just I don't see it do you think Robert Kraft
05:06understands his role in the drop-off the last four or five years like I got a
05:12sense that he's still keeping it at arm's length like well we've
05:16restructured some things and really laying it at the feet of bill laying it
05:20at the feet of Gerard Mayo maybe wolf in there as well and it's like well we've
05:23restructured some things we figured it out almost like separating himself from
05:27the the shortcomings of the last few years do you think he he understands or
05:31recognizes in my opinion anyway his role in all of it I do I do I think
05:37because he you know what do they call it an elegant solution with Brady and a
05:41contract way back in 2010 I think that Kraft really wanted to have an elegant
05:46solution to moving on from bill bill would break Shula's record they go to
05:50the playoffs at least in 2022 or 2023 and then it would elegantly end and you
05:55move on to Gerard Mayo so I think Kraft probably in hindsight looks at it as
06:00well we shouldn't have been hoping for an elegant solution maybe we should have
06:06made a move earlier on bill maybe I should have done things differently with
06:11bill and I certainly didn't make the right call with Mayo I mean I think
06:13they kind of own the Mayo thing pretty clearly so I do think that he
06:20understands that decisions he made while he might have made them for the right
06:24and sentimental reasons they didn't work out why do you think bill Parcells is
06:30getting into the team Hall of Fame now and do you think he should go into the
06:34Hall of Fame I've kind of wavered back and forth on this you know one times at
06:40times I'll look at Parcells and say the legitimization that he created in 1993
06:47by the end of the decade he was actively trying to undermine and destroy Patriots
06:51at every turn including by 1996 really players and coaches and an ownership
07:01still looks at that and says what a betrayal so that's one thing where I've
07:05always looked at you know just Parcells who actively tried to undermine the
07:09franchise belong there like Chuck Fairbanks probably belongs there to RIP
07:14but he left in a huff in the late 70s as a coach and never was seen again but but
07:20Parcells is different it's a different era Parcells is definitely a pro football
07:24Hall of Famer as we know and I think that the sentimentality and time healing
07:31all wounds is fine I think that Parcells ought to go in despite my reticence on
07:38those other fronts because he was vital he was important and it's just a Hall of
07:44Fame I always hate seeing guys go in posthumously whether it's Kenny Stabler
07:50or Junior Seau or anybody else so and maybe you're you're hinting at some of
07:55what Kraft said earlier today like we want to do this while we're both alive
07:58but like what why the change now because clearly Kraft could have done this at
08:03any point he didn't forever we heard that well it's a public vote and it's up
08:07to the fans and now he's jamming Bill Parcells in which which I think he
08:12should be in by the way yeah but why why now what's the difference and is it
08:16just they're two older men and they don't want to do it posthumously is it
08:20as simple as that yeah I'm guessing the Brady precedent of last year where he
08:24just said you know what I'm gonna bypass little Brady and right away the world
08:28didn't end didn't explode people still go to the Hall of Fame so oh I can just
08:32do this and it's okay yeah just go ahead if you want to who cares I think they
08:36kind of did the same thing with Dante as a contributor to so actually in
08:41hindsight I think that Dante went in as a contributor we didn't vote on him I'm
08:47on that committee as well but I think it would be that and look you and I we all
08:51understand the Patriots want as many good headlines as they can and stay in
08:57the conversation as much as they can they still I think in many ways are the
09:02number one conversation point certainly trumping the Celtics and well ahead of
09:06the Red Sox and certainly the Bruins but they could use some positive
09:10conversation so I wouldn't ever rule that out as an opportunity that's being
09:15capitalized on as well you know last time we talked to you they hadn't signed
09:18Steph Diggs yet they have since signed him and he had his press conference I'm
09:22really excited about the signing there were certainly other receivers I would
09:26have preferred maybe based on age and whatever else but to me the injury is
09:30the only hesitance I have about being all in on him having a monster year I'm
09:36way less concerned about oh he wants the ball and he's played on three or four
09:40teams what are your expectations for Steph Diggs this season it's funny I put
09:46that exact question out of a poll for quick glance today from Palm Beach I
09:51said 50 catches 600 yards 65 catches for 850 and I think it was 85 for a thousand
10:02and I would probably air probably closer to the 65 for 800 is that because you
10:09expected this time it's all about games 15 or more games I think it's that I
10:13think it's the big numbers there I'd be great yeah I just think that you know
10:17he's a he's a 12-yard catch guy I was just looking at this so he should still
10:23be that and how well the Mario Douglas works underneath how well Hunter Henry
10:28does Tyler Warren when they draft him at four that should help take some heat off
10:32the digs so I'm trying to talk that and speak that into existence by the way
10:37well it'll be interesting to check out tonight on quick slants with Tommy
10:41Carney joins us every Tuesday at high noon here on Jones and Keefe we call it
10:44a Tom eat Tuesday you could check them out all over NBC Sports Boston and on
10:48Thursdays as well on WEI afternoons um Vrabel spoke yesterday I know you wrote
10:54about your big takeaway with Vrabel up now at NBC Sports Boston he's putting it
10:58on himself and you know not doling out blame we'll see if that changes over the
11:03course of his tenure in New England but that's where it's at so far I'm curious
11:06on a couple of specific things he said yesterday specifically on Will Campbell
11:11and Travis Hunter he said you got to evaluate Campbell as a tackle it made it
11:15sound like Travis Hunter would be a guy who played on one side of the ball or
11:19the other and then they put more on his plate did you gain any insight into what
11:24the Patriots may be doing it for based on those answers definitely I think if
11:29they take Travis Hunter Travis Hunter is going to come in with an expectation
11:32that he's voiced that is going to be met with sorry we're not doing it your
11:36way Travis you're 23 or 22 or whatever you are we're going to do it our way and
11:41you're going to play on the offensive side of the ball because we have two
11:44corners a 20 million dollar one and an all-pro so come on over get yourself
11:49comfortable she's not going to have a 20 million dollar cornerback and Carlton
11:52Davis was a backup so I found that telling because if you draft Travis
11:59Hunter you're probably drafting him as an offensive player and he's not what
12:04you would call a finished offensive product yet because he's just not been
12:07devoted at the same level that some of the excellent receivers last year your
12:12midweek neighbors and Brian Thomas's or anybody else who came out last year's
12:16draft so to me I find it really interesting and I thought it was
12:20informative and I did glean from the Campbell answer that if you're going to
12:26point out how look how well we looked in the SEC which I think you rightly
12:30should this is the safest thing to do to make sure you don't screw up the pick
12:34it so you can get immediate bang for your buck is get the appliance that your
12:37house needs at four and I know you guys keep saying and I understand you don't
12:43do that at four but this year's four is not like the other years for us well I
12:48think if he's a left tackle I am you know all right taking him at four I
12:52would rather have Travis Hunter but he might be off the board so if he's off
12:55the board because very blood that good line about well if you tell me who's
12:58going one through three I can tell you who's going for and so it does my
13:03takeaway was maybe similar is like it probably will end up being Will Campbell
13:06and then I think if a year from now he ends up being a left guard like man that
13:11is that is so what do you point about if they drafted Tyler Warren all right more
13:15traded down and drafted Tyler Warren no you know no I wouldn't flip out you were
13:19you I heard you asking variable about this you're like take all the tight ends
13:21I like Tyler Warren yeah I personally Curran would go like if the
13:26quarterbacks didn't go in the top four my top four would be Carter, Hunter, Gente
13:32and then Warren I like Tyler Warren a lot it's funny to hear Robert today just
13:37unprompted mentioning speed running back which I totally agree with they've been
13:40missing it for years but that would be also fascinating probably something more
13:46overlooking with Gente but also when he was talking was it Caden Wallace and
13:51Vidarian Lowe and draft pick so when he mentions that when he was that Mike
13:55Vrabel was asked about left tackle and he mentions those two names you're like
13:59oh yeah they definitely are drafting one and it feels like if you go to the
14:02second round for that that is obviously a much bigger risk so that definitely
14:07feels like the the smart money would be on them taking a odd tackle whether it's
14:11Campbell or even somebody else with their first pick don't you think it's
14:15first pick or definitely first two picks I keep thinking of the kid Josh Simmons
14:18who the Patriots and Vrabel have spent a significant amount of time with from
14:22Ohio State so Vrabel having those ties would be well acquainted with him you
14:27know he had I think it was a Patella pair last year but he might have been
14:32the number one tackle on the board had he not been injured for Ohio State last
14:37year could he be sitting there at the beginning of the second round there's a
14:41chance of that so maybe you can kill those two birds with one stone you get
14:44your time with Warren then you go ahead and get your uh Josh Simmons that'd be
14:52great real quick Tom before we let you go one more on Robert not like it's a
14:58earth-shattering to say that Jonathan would take over and he'd be the next guy
15:02up and that's a succession plan I think we all probably wrap our heads around
15:06that at least from the outside looking in I feel like we've never really heard
15:09a ton about succession plan talk and what would it look like after Robert
15:15Kraft and are the wheels in motion for that did you have any takeaways from
15:18that answer because from the outside looking in even if it's obvious I
15:21thought it was interesting he was even willing to go there yeah and hey
15:26certainly would not have gone there had not had Greg Bedard not asked the
15:30question which kind of needed to be to be asked he is I thought that he was
15:34impressive today and not just for an 82 year old I thought he was impressive you
15:39know retrieval word we've seen him have times at the podium when I think he's
15:42trying to do prepared statements where he struggles more off the cuff I'm not
15:46looking at a guy who is incapable by any stretch of the imagination of you know
15:51owning a football team and helping and making decisions so I was not surprised
15:55that the question was asked because he is an octogenarian for God's sake so we
15:59got to ask those questions it's not ageist to do a check-in but I presume
16:05that would always be the succession plan and I do believe personally that
16:09there's going to be a juncture which Jonathan does to Kim to make himself
16:12more available as he used to on the free game shows back last decade has it been
16:18a decade now since he did probably about that sounds all right I know he's had
16:21scheduling conflicts during their last few big press conferences he's just
16:24missed them you're a smarmer Rama I am not oh I heard somebody said you called
16:30me a mutterer how dare you you muttered muttered last week mutter and it was
16:36less about you than that the overall I wonder what we're talking about no maybe
16:39maybe was nobody ever because everybody you see this a lot where a player says
16:44they don't want to go to a team and they're like well don't even try and
16:47then they end up going somewhere where like I don't think that was their top
16:50choice so anyway it was so it was funny way I called I called you on the drive
16:56by all right we have fun we have a lot of laughs we have a great night I like a
17:06loose clubhouse a loose clubhouse is exactly what it is every Tommy Tuesday
17:10with Tommy current from NBC Sports Boston check him out tonight on quick
17:14slants check him out on Thursdays on wei afternoons check out his latest NBC
17:19Sports Boston comm on Mike Vrabel and his press conference from the owners
17:23meetings yesterday in Palm Beach Tommy as always we appreciate the time we'll
17:26talk to you next week all right guys that was fun thank you
17:29thank you Tom Tommy current on a Tommy Tuesday here on Jones and Keith the
17:34again the succession plan to Jonathan it's not it's not shocking it's like
17:37this kids gonna take over how most these NFL teams work that's how unless you get
17:43into a situation like the Bolins in Denver where it got ugly with really
17:48almost similar to what was going on with Wick and Irv was it's a warning and
17:51decide that hey you know we want to sell it and what we feel like is peak value
17:55and set up all the kids and whatever else but now this seems like it's less I
18:00mean it's obviously a business for all of them don't let any of them tell you
18:02otherwise but maybe it's more of like it's important to keep it in their
18:05family just it it's interesting that because Robert could have just said well
18:10I'm gonna I'm gonna be doing this for a long time like you know I'm not going
18:14anywhere I know he got into some of that but he didn't have to answer it
18:18like being asked the question is one thing and it's a good question by
18:21Bedard I didn't realize that's who asked it but it's a good question by Bedard
18:23it's a worthwhile question as current said the guys in his 80s like it's a
18:27fair question to ask that's not ageist it's a fair question to ask but didn't
18:31have to engage and you'd have to answer it for a minute plus and talk about how
18:35Jonathan's gonna take over and if nothing else I just find that noteworthy
18:38he's now willing to engage with that whereas I don't know even a couple of
18:41years ago I wonder if he would so is there a tell there in Jonathan taking on
18:48more or getting close to taking on more with the organization and Robert taking
18:53on less