FOXBORO, Mass. — Patriots owner Robert Kraft addressed a popular critique that has been shared by many fans and pundits the last several seasons.
New England has not suddenly limited its spending.
The Patriots’ cash spending was never something anyone looked into, but as the organization slipped from royalty into mediocrity, it started to draw attention. New England routinely ranks near the bottom of the list in that metric, and typically employs fewer people than other organizations around the NFL.
Kraft was directly faced with a question about his spending habits Monday, and shot down any claims that he isn’t willing to part with cash to help the team.
“No,” Kraft said, responding directly to whether or not his new coach’s contract will impact other aspects of the organization. “We have always been in situations where we spend to the cap. We have never told any coach to limit the spending — the only thing that has been said is, ‘If you exceed the cap, we’d like to see it leveled out over three years.’
“… We want to win, and that is our priority first.”
New England recently started to make changes seemingly tied to public perception, most notably announcing the construction of a new facility after being criticized in a player survey.
Kraft doesn’t have anywhere to hide as it relates to his spending, either, as the transition to a new regime will undoubtedly cost him money due to contract buyouts and hiring support staff for his new head coach and front office. The Patriots also have roughly $120 million available in free agency, which many expect them to utilize and can keep track of.
Kraft says he won’t limit how much is spent, but we’ll still have to see about that.
