Images courtesy of Patriots.com

Both Bill Belichick and owner Robert Kraft spoke at the league over the course of the past two days.

As usual, Belichick was cryptic and did not fully answer the questions that were asked if him. Kraft on the other hand was much more candid and honest.

Trying to decipher what Belichick is saying can be hard half the time but we have been around him long enough to be able to read between the lines.

So, with that said. We are going to look at some of the comments made by Belichick and Kraft and tell you what we think they are really saying.

Belichick

Who will call offensive plays?

B.B: , “We won’t be calling any for a while.”

My take: Don’t worry about who will be calling plays. We haven’t determined that yet.

Matthew Slater and his importance to the team.

B.B: “Certainly Matt Slater would go up there in the kicking game with (Tom) Brady on offense and (Lawrence) Taylor on defense. So I feel very, very fortunate to have had the opportunity to coach all of the players, but I’d say those three in particular.”

My take: I don’t know what he means honestly. Slater is a terrific player and human being but comparing him to the greatest offensive and defensive players in league history makes no sense. He isn’t even the greatest special teams player of all time. I get respecting a player, but let’s be rational with the commentary.

Belichick on new director of player personnel Matt Groh

B.B: “Matt has done a tremendous job for us. Very smart. Very detailed. … Really put the draft together last year as the director of college scouting … I think he’s as good as anyone we’ve had in that position.”

My take: Groh has earned this promotion. Belichick has a history with Matt’s fatter Al and he developed him as an executive. Groh was garnering interest from other organizations this off-season so the timing of the promotion comes at the right time.

Return of Malcolm Butler

B.B: “He indicated a desire to play this year, and we worked through the process with Malcolm, like we do with every player. Obviously, we know him, but he came up, visited last week, so we signed him. Look forward to having him back.”

My take: Belichick knows Butler. He developed him so despite a decline in his game in recent years, Belichick believes that he and the defensive staff can get him back on track and get more out of him. Butler also made sense for the Patriots finically given their cap limitations.

Kraft

On the possibility of a slower build and if it takes a few years for the team to be in true contention:

RK: “I’d expect it to happen as soon as this year. I think we’ve made the commitments as an organization. I think we have a lot of talent. Some wonderful young men from last year and a couple in the weeds from before. It’s a chance for them to grow and hopefully come together, and the team comes together. These young quarterbacks, the good ones, in the second year have usually grown a great deal. I’m a big fan of Mac Jones. You see how hard he works. He wants everything to go right. He puts the time and energy, and his personality as a team guy. So we have a chance.Without a good coach and a good quarterback, no matter how good the other players are, I don’t think you can win consistently. Hopefully, I believe we have both an outstanding coach and a goodyoung prospect at quarterback.”

My Take: Kraft gave Belichick a blank last off-season. He spent it. Now Kraft wants to see a return on that investment. Contending for a Super Bowl would be the ideal return. Kraft believes the team has the coach and quarterback to do that.

Has the arms race in the AFC caused him to recalibrate expectations for the Patriots:

RK: “You can use all the analytics in everything but until you’ve played the games and things happen; I think people who don’t understand our sport also don’t understand the opportunity cost of not having players on the field. If you saw our nutrition staff our rehab staff, and our weight-room people, there is a composite picture of trying to give us a chance to have as many of the guys out there on Sunday as possible. That makes a big difference. I’m really excited and I look forward to this coming year.”

My Take: Kraft is simply pointing out that a lot goes into putting a competitive product on the field. The staff plays a vital role in doing that. Having people is important.

After last year’s big spending in free agency, it’s been quieter this year; how would he describe the plan and approach this year to get better:

RK: “I think we have a lot of young players that are coming into their own. I don’t think free agency is over. I know the big spending. Remember, we have a salary cap. So there’s only so much we can do in that area. I do think we have an opportunity to pick people up, right along the way, right down to the final cuts. ‘That’s to me when free agency is over. I’ve seen it other years people get all excited with the headlines now, but in the end it’s what happens throughout the entire year.”

My Take: Kraft knows Patriots fans aren’t happy that the team isn’t spending mo yes this off-season. He is right when he talks about the restrictions of the salary. Contrary to what some fans and media alike think in this market, the cap is real and managing it is important.

On concern about others adding players and the Patriots maybe subtracting talent:

RK: “I don’t look at it as subtracting. Those are good for the headlines. But the headlines aren’t the substance of what’s happening. In the end, I go back to 01 we definitely didn’t have the best headlines, the best talent, but we had the best team. And they came together. That taught me a lot- the chemistry of what goes on, and the intellect who come in and have to understand your system. Just because a guy has a record over here, and goes to another place, doesn’t ensure success. But we’ll see.”

My Take: Kraft is simply pointing out that spending doesn’t guarantee success. He points to the 01 team as an example. On paper, they may not have been the best team but they found a way to win and in the end, they won it all. His point. Spending in free agency doesn’t guarantee success.

Kraft also talked about how the team’s lack of recent playoff success bothers him.

Perhaps his most pointed comments were about the Patriots recent draft history.

“I’m happy that I think we had a great draft last year,” Kraft told reporters. “That made up for what happened the previous four years or so, and I look forward to hopefully having a great draft this year. That’s the only way you can build your team for the long term and consistently that you have a chance of winning is having a good draft.”

The comments were surprising considering the fact that Kraft has also supported what Belichick does with the roster, even if he doesn’t agree with it.

Kraft’s comments about the Patriots lack of draft success illustrate some frustration with Belichick. I think that is a good thing. Some owner dissatisfaction could serve as some motivation for the legendary coach.