Damien Woody on Patriots’ recent struggles: ‘I know this has to be eating Mr. Kraft up’
Woody #Woody
After a disappointing 8-9 season, the Patriots have been busy trying to rectify the personnel decisions that left them on the outside looking in for the 2022 postseason.
Even though Bill Belichick and New England will need to wait a bit longer before they can augment the roster via free agency and the NFL Draft, the Patriots’ coaching staff has already received a major facelift over the last two months.
Following a season of offensive ineptitude and regression from key cogs like Mac Jones, New England removed Matt Patricia (offensive play caller/offensive line) and Joe Judge (quarterbacks) from their previous coaching designations.
In their place, Bill O’Brien was brought in to revive New England’s stagnant offense, while Adrian Klemm will be tasked with shoring up a leaky O-line.
Following a 2021 offseason in which Josh McDaniels and multiple other staffers left New England for other opportunities, the Patriots got in front of another expected exit.
Despite reportedly interviewing for various coaching roles across the NFL, Patriots defensive assistant Jerod Mayo opted to stay put with the organization, shortly after the team announced that it began contract extension discussions with the former All-Pro linebacker.
Some of these offseason reshuffles stand as the expected tinkering of a team looking to right the ship after a dysfunctional season.
But given the upheaval of two close confidantes of Bill Belichick in Patricia and Judge, coupled with New England’s transparent statement on Mayo’s contract, a prevailing narrative this winter has revolved around Robert Kraft taking a more active role in the team’s offseason planning.
And given New England’s lackluster returns over the last few years, former Patriot and current ESPN analyst Damien Woody isn’t surprised that Kraft is getting involved in his team’s retooling efforts.
“I know this has to be eating Mr. Kraft up, that the Patriots are basically irrelevant,” Woody told Boston Herald’s Karen Guregian. “I know it has to. So go out there and make a couple of splash moves. Bring some spice and some relevance back to the Patriots. Make it interesting.”
With close to $33 million in cap space (per OverTheCap.com) and various holes in the roster to address, the Patriots should be active in the coming weeks. And there should be no shortage of options for New England to bolster its team for 2023.
New England has the draft capital and fiscal flexibility to add an impact player at the tackle position in order to protect Mac Jones.
If the Patriots aren’t fretting over taking on lofty contracts, they could be a potential partner for pricy cornerback Jalen Ramsey.
But if Belichick and Co. really want to swing for the fences, they could pool their assets and try to deal for a No. 1 wideout like DeAndre Hopkins or Tee Higgins.
Woody is in favor of any move that gives Mac Jones more options in his offensive arsenal.
“I think they made a step in the right direction bringing [Bill O’Brien] back, because that was madness what they were doing last year,” Woody said. “So I’m glad they got a guy who knows what he’s doing. But they need weapons. They need difference-makers on offense. It’s not good enough just getting [Bill] O’Brien back. They need actual guys on the field that will make a difference.”
The Patriots have a lot of work to do if they want to reestablish themselves as one of the top dogs in the AFC.
But with Kraft seemingly more involved in New England’s offseason objectives, it won’t be a surprise if the Patriots are bold this spring as they look to put last season’s failings in the rearview mirror.
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The post Damien Woody on Patriots’ recent struggles: ‘I know this has to be eating Mr. Kraft up’ appeared first on Boston.com.