Robert Kraft Shares Message To Patriots Fans After Offseason Stages

The New England Patriots have made a number of moves so far in the offseason with the NFL Draft still ahead. Those transactions have come without a splash addition to the roster after free agency opened.

Team owner Robert Kraft understands that while the major move hasn't come yet, laying a youthful foundation has been a priority for the Patriots at the start of a new era with head coach Jerod Mayo and executive Eliot Wolf.

"I feel bad, I think we've actually made some improvements," Kraft told reporters at the league meetings in Florida, per team-provided video. "I think we're getting the system functioning the way we did. This year, we signed a number of younger players that we had drafted or been in our system. As a foundation, if you want to win consistently, you have to draft well and get those players on a second contract. We started to do that this year."

The Patriots seek to enrich the team foundation to start a path back to winning. New England has missed the playoffs the last two seasons and has not won a postseason game since Super Bowl LIII after the 2018 season. While Kraft hopes to break that drought in the coming season, he understands the timeline for building with a new group of people at the forefront for the Patriots.

"My hope and expectation is to make the playoffs," Kraft shared. "Realistically, we have a new leadership team. We're going to have a lot of young players. We don't know. A lot can happen. We might struggle more than I want. The good news is when you try to run a business, you figure out what the key variables are and then put people in place who you think can react and adapt to what has to happen. I really feel that we have a good, young team. I just hope we don't struggle."

Kraft added: "After my family, the most important thing in my life is to win football games with the Patriots. … I say that to our fans and I believe we're going in the right direction."

The Patriots look to make a splash in the NFL Draft, which begins in Detroit on April 25.