Kraft says Belichick's departure is all about the recent lack of wins
At noon on Thursday, Bill Belichick and Robert Kraft sat down with the kids and told them the divorce was a mutual decision and the breakup wasn’t anyone’s fault. It was just time for the two to part ways. Two hours later, some truths started to be leaked out.
At 2 p.m. Thursday, Kraft, the New England Patriots’ owner, took questions from the media and, while the tone of what was said earlier in the day didn’t completely change, he did offer some insight as to how things unfolded and why the team is now in need of a new general manager and head coach.
The simple answer is wins. Belichick isn’t being let go as head coach just because of this season. The decision to part ways is a direct result of what has happened over the last four seasons. For Kraft, the decision was rooted in business and not one he was going to make on a whim.
“I have a saying when I’m making important decisions," Kraft said. "I try to measure nine times and cut once, because you want to be sure. This is one of those times — we went through the season, we went through which is three seasons like this, and you realize how capable [Belichick] is and you try and understand why you wound up where you are.
“It’s just something that was best; we each moved on and I think that’s what the last three, four days of taking the time allowed us to do.”
Kraft was asked about how the Patriots went from winning Super Bowls to being a team that’s hoping to hit a home run with the third pick in the NFL Draft, one that could potentially resuscitate the franchise. He said he wasn’t sure he was qualified to answer that question.
With the Patriots’ falloff coinciding with Tom Brady’s departure, Kraft was asked about the dynamic between the greatest quarterback of all time and the greatest coach of all time, and if one made the other.
Kraft offered the diplomatic answer, saying: “I don’t think one of those two would have accomplished what they accomplished if they weren’t together.”
The Patriots’ power structure was brought up multiple times during the press conference. Kraft spoke about the importance of having checks and balances in the business world and how it’s no different when you’re the owner of an NFL team.
Belichick was the coach and personnel manager, giving him the ability to both "cook the dinner" and "shop for the groceries," something former head coach Bill Parcells had issue with when Kraft hadn't given him the same authority.
“Just to be clear, [Belichick] didn’t have all of those power and rights. I don’t think it happened until after the third Super Bowl, but it slowly happened,” Kraft said. “In my opinion, he earned it and it worked pretty well most of the time, but all of us need checks and balances in our life. We need Dr. Nos around us, people to protect us from ourselves.
“As things evolved and you get more power, sometimes people are afraid to speak up.”
Harping on those checks and balances, Kraft made it seem as if the next hire could be multiple hires. When he arrived at the press conference, he told media members he was there out of respect to them but wanted to keep the conversation about Belichick and his tenure at Foxboro. He said questions for the future would be covered in the coming days.
The question still needed to be asked, so after speaking for 19 minutes, the last question he addressed was about what he was looking for in his next head coach. While Kraft didn’t name names, he didn’t dodge the question. "We’re looking for someone who can help us get back to the playoffs and win,” Kraft said. “Believe me, after my family, this is really one of the two most important assets in my life. I am very upset when we don’t win games and it carries the whole week.
“I promise you I will be focused to do the best I can do to make sure we’re putting ourselves in the best position to win games for many years.”
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Kraft lets fans know that Belichick's departure is all about last 4 years
