NFL Execs Bury Robert Kraft, Jerod Mayo For Patriots Offseason

The Patriots had a lackluster free agency, and while leadership seemed content with how the offseason played out, those outside of One Patriot Place don't quite see it the same way.

New England came into this offseason as one of the teams with the most cap space. However, head coach Jerod Mayo quickly walked back his "burn some cash" line from his introductory news conference, and the Tennessee Titans beat out the Patriots for Calvin Ridley.

Owner Robert Kraft told reporters at the annual NFL meetings that New England had a competitive offer for the wide receiver, and he made an audacious claim that Ridley's "girlfriend" wanted to stay in the South.

The biggest moves the Patriots made involved internal free agents from a team that finished 4-13 last season. Kraft and Mayo maintain optimism for the team, but for a contingent of fans, patience is growing thin.

NFL executives gave their unfiltered thoughts on every team following free agency to The Athletic's Mike Sando, and in a column published Wednesday, it was a brutal assessment.

"Kraft mentions the (state income) taxes, the quarterback, the player's girlfriend and then he mentioned the money," an exec told Sando. "The reality is, if the dollar net taxes was higher in New England than in Tennessee, they would have gotten the player. It's like Kraft can't live in a world where he is looked at as the problem."

Blame on the state of facilities was placed on ownership, and after Kraft mentioned he had not heard of the complaints stated in the NFL Players Association report card, he revealed there would be plans to amend those concerns. However, the state of the roster confused an NFL executive heading into the 2024 NFL Draft.

"The head coach came out early in the offseason and said, 'We have a lot of money to spend, and we are going to spend it,'" another exec told Sando. "Then he had to walk the comment back. Then they lose out on the receiver after their GM says they have no speed on offense. So you have the two highest appointed people in the organization saying they are going to spend and they are going to prioritize speed, and then they do neither. What the hell?"

There might be a group of Patriots fans asking the same question since New England hasn't done much to be better than it was last season. Those sentiments could change depending on what happens in the 2024 NFL Draft, but it's clear there isn't much confidence in Kraft and Mayo following free agency.