Robert Kraft

Patriots’ Robert Kraft Pleads Not Guilty

February 28th, 2019 at 1:29pm CST by Zachary Links

Patriots owner Robert Kraft pleaded not guilty to two misdemeanor charges of soliciting prostitution, as John R. Ellement of The Boston Globe writes. Kraft, of course, was charged last week in a connection with a human trafficking sting in Florida.

Authorities say they have captured Kraft on film inside of the “spa,” so it may be tricky for Kraft to mount a proper defense if things wind up in court. The non guilty plea may also prolong the legal process, but Kraft is apparently set on clearing his name.

Per NFL policy, Kraft may be subject to league discipline, depending on how things play out from here. For example, Colts owner Jim Irsay received a six-game suspension and a $500K fine in 2014 after he pleaded guilty to driving while intoxicated.

“Our personal conduct policy applies equally to everyone in the NFL,” said the league in a statement last week. “We will handle this allegation in the same way we would handle any issue under the policy. We are seeking a full understanding of the facts, while ensuring that we do not interfere with an ongoing law enforcement investigation. We will take appropriate action as warranted based on the facts.”

Latest On Robert Kraft

February 25th, 2019 at 8:19pm CST by Sam Robinson

More details emerged Monday regarding Patriots owner Robert Kraft‘s charges of solicitation. Two misdemeanor charges came Kraft’s way, according to ESPN, which adds that video evidence collected against the longtime owner came from the weekend of this year’s AFC championship game.

Documents released by the Palm Beach Attorney’s Office indicate Kraft visited the Orchids of Asia Day Spa twice in a 24-hour span, and on Jan. 20 was videotaped receiving “oral and manual sex” from a woman at the Jupiter, Fla., Spa. According to officials, Kraft gave the woman a $100 bill and another bill before leaving. He flew to Kansas City shortly after this alleged act, being in attendance for the Patriots-Chiefs game later that day.

Video surveillance captured Kraft soliciting prostitution at the spa on Saturday, Jan. 19, as well, Palm Beach State Attorney Dave Aronberg said Monday. Kraft is one of several men implicated in this sting, which lasted approximately eight months.

Kraft will have a “low level” arrest warrant issued in his name and an April 24 court date, though he will not need to make a court appearance, ESPN reports. The Patriots owner has hired an attorney to represent him in this process. If convicted, Kraft would face one year in jail, a fine of $5,000, 100 community service hours and attendance in a human trafficking dangers class. Kraft, 77, is not expected to serve any jail time. His lawyers deny any wrongdoing on the part of their client.

“We categorically deny that Mr. Kraft engaged in any illegal activity. Because it is a judicial matter, we will not be commenting further.”

As for an NFL suspension, that seems likely. The league released another statement on Monday that indicates its personal conduct policy applies equally to NFL personnel.

“Our personal conduct policy applies equally to everyone in the NFL. We will handle this allegation in the same way we would handle any issue under the policy. We are seeking a full understanding of the facts, while ensuring that we do not interfere with an ongoing law enforcement investigation. We will take appropriate action as warranted based on the facts.”

For a indication of how the NFL might proceed, Colts owner Jim Irsay received a six-game suspension and a $500K fine in 2014, when he pleaded guilty to driving while intoxicated.

Patriots Notes: Kraft, Flowers, Tate

February 24th, 2019 at 10:32am CST by Rory Parks

Patriots owner Robert Kraft will likely not face many legal repercussions from his prostitution charges, according to a Florida criminal defense attorney (via Ben Volin of the Boston Globe). Kraft will probably be required to pay a several hundred dollar fine and attend counseling of some sort, at which point the charges may be dropped.

But the consequences from an NFL standpoint are likely to be much more severe. Volin believes commissioner Roger Goodell should “come down hard on Kraft” and impose at least a six-game suspension and a hefty fine (the maximum fine is $500K). Kraft is obviously one of the most prominent and powerful owners in the league, but he may be relieved of some of his duties (he is a part of five major ownership committees). He was supposed to guide the league through a potential 2021 lockout and lead negotiations with television networks when those contracts expire in 2022, but that is all in question now.

Volin still believes Kraft will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but his induction will now be delayed, and the 77-year-old may not be around to enjoy his enshrinement when it does happen (Volin says Kraft was likely to get the HOF nod in a year or two). And, while Kraft will almost certainly not be forced to sell the club or hand it off to his son, Jonathan, this incident will be a permanent blot on his reputation.

Now let’s take a quick look at a few on-field notes from Foxborough:

Patriots defensive end Trey Flowers will be a hot commodity if he hits the open market, but Jim McBride of the Boston Globe says locking him up to a long-term deal is high on New England’s list of priorities. The Pats are unlikely to use the franchise tag on Flowers, and they are unlikely to keep him if it takes an Olivier Vernon-esque deal to do so (five years, $85MM). However, McBride believes Flowers will ultimately return to New England on a multi-year contract, even if he tests the free agent market first.
In the same piece linked above, McBride looks at the other Patriots eligible for free agency and their chances of returning to the club. For instance, he believes specialists Stephen Gostkowski and Ryan Allen will certainly be back, while Eric Rowe and Danny Shelton are more likely to find homes elsewhere.
Assuming the Patriots don’t trade out of the first round, Doug Kyed of NESN.com sees tight ends Noah Fant (Iowa) and Irv Smith Jr. (Alabama) and DB Taylor Rapp (Washington) as potential fits.
Golden Tate would be a good fit in the Patriots’ offense, but Kyed does not believe the Pats will be willing to meet Tate’s asking price.
Brothers Devin McCourty and Jason McCourty have announced that they will continue their careers in 2019 after some retirement speculation prior to the Super Bowl. Devin is still under contract with the Patriots, but Jason is eligible for free agency.

Robert Kraft Charged With Soliciting Prostitutes

February 22nd, 2019 at 10:57am CST by Zachary Links

Patriots owner Robert Kraft has been charged with soliciting prostitution by Jupiter, Fla. police. A police spokesperson tells reporters that Kraft, and the others implicated in the sting, were caught on camera “in the act” at a massage parlor.

Kraft, 77, is alleged to have solicited a prostitute on at least two occasions. He was one of several men implicated in the sting, which lasted roughly eight months and led to the identification of more than 100 suspected “Johns.”

“The tentacles of this go from here to New York to China, in Florida from here to Orange County,” Martin County Sheriff William Snyder said earlier this week. “I think it’s very safe to say without any hyperbole that this is the tip of the iceberg.”

Kraft’s lawyers, meanwhile, deny any wrongdoing on the part of their client:

“We categorically deny that Mr. Kraft engaged in any illegal activity. Because it is a judicial matter, we will not be commenting further.”

In a statement, the NFL said the league is “aware of the ongoing law enforcement matter and will continue to monitor developments. Kraft may be subject to league discipline, depending on how things unfold.

Kraft purchased the Patriots in 1994. Since then, the franchise has won six Super Bowl championships and made ten overall Super Bowl appearances.

According to Forbes, Kraft is worth roughly $6.6 billion. Police say he will be charged with a misdemeanor in connection with the sting.

East Rumors: Foles, Kitna, Belichick

January 20th, 2019 at 12:10pm CST by Rory Parks

It is all but certain that the Eagles will part ways with Nick Foles this offseason, and there has been plenty of speculation as to how that might happen given Foles’ present contract situation. The most-discussed scenarios involve the team basically forcing Foles to buy his way into free agency for $2MM, and even then, the Eagles could put the franchise tag on Foles and trade him, thus eliminating any voice that Foles might have in the matter.

But as Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes, Foles and the Eagles have an excellent relationship, as evidenced by the team’s most recent gesture of goodwill. As such, JLC suggests that Philadelphia could pick up Foles’ 2019 option, thereby triggering a $20MM salary, and then orchestrate a trade to a team of Foles’ liking. Realistically, there are only a handful of teams that will be in the market for Foles, so by going that route, Foles could keep the above-referenced $2MM and still end up with a team that he would have signed with anyway (and he and his new team would likely enter into a long-term pact whether he is traded or signs as a free agent). As La Canfora observes, the Dolphins and Jaguars are the two clubs who have been linked to Foles thus far.

Now for a quick roundup of a few more east-related items:

We learned earlier today that the Cowboys could hire Jon Kitna as their QB coach and name Kellen Moore as their new OC. Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter), Kitna will indeed become Dallas’ QB coach, which means that Moore — who served as the team’s QB coach in 2018 — may very well take the OC reins. Schefter’s ESPN colleague, Chris Mortensen, reports that head coach Jason Garrett is “in line” to serve as the team’s offensive play-caller in 2019 regardless of who the OC is (Twitter link).
In the past couple of years, we have heard a lot about the tension among the three pillars of the Patriots‘ franchise: owner Robert Kraft, head coach Bill Belichick, and quarterback Tom Brady. But as Mike Reiss of ESPN.com observes, when Belichick recently commented on the upcoming 25th anniversary of Kraft’s ownership, he said, “[h]ope we can continue it for a long time.” That brief but telling statement is in keeping with what Reiss has been sensing of late, which is that Belichick, 66, will be coaching New England for the foreseeable future.
Alex Marvez of SiriusXM NFL Radio tweets that the Bills could promote offensive assistant Chad Hall to wide receivers coach to replace Terry Robiskie, who recently joined the Jaguars’ coaching staff.

Patriots Notes: Kraft, McClellin, Rowe

September 29th, 2018 at 10:43am CST by Ben Levine

Back in January, an explosive piece from ESPN.com detailed a major rift within the Patriots organization. Since that time, there have been continued whispers about the tension in Foxborough, particularly between head coach Bill Belichick and franchise quarterback Tom Brady. Owner Robert Kraft has continually denied those rumors, and he did that once again on Friday. Appearing on CNBC, Kraft attributed the reports to “envy and jealousy.”

“We’ve been together 19 years, which is unheard of for a head coach, a quarterback and an ownership group,” Kraft said (via Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com). “Thankfully, we have had a lot of success and whenever that happens you become a target. We understand that and there is always tensions and issues and different things you’ve got to deal with. That is part of the privilege of owning a team and being successful. I have a little saying that envy and jealously are incurable diseases. You’d rather be a recipient than a donor. That is what is going on now.”

A new book by ESPN’s Ian O’Connor has renewed interest in the dynamic between Belichick and Brady. In “Belichick: The Making of the Greatest Football Coach of All Time,”O’Connor reports that Brady would “divorce” Belichick if he could, but feared alienating New England fans after the Patriots traded backup (and possible successor) Jimmy Garoppolo to the 49ers last season.

Let’s take a look at some more notes out of New England…

Ben Volin of the Boston Globe tweets that retired Patriots linebacker Shea McClellin filed for Injury Protection last night, which entitles him “to 50 percent of the base salary he was supposed to make this year.” Therefore, the team ended up losing another $1.075MM worth of cap space, dropping them down to $1.17MM of room. As Volin observes, it’s an interesting predicament for the Patriots, who haven’t been so close to the cap in at least a half decade. The team doesn’t have a whole lot of high-priced players, leading the reporter to wonder whether the issue is by design or due to “poor cap management.”
Eric Rowe returned to practice yesterday, but Mark Daniels of the Providence Journal points out that the cornerback was limited after having missed the past two sessions. It’s still no guarantee that the 25-year-old will end up playing this weekend, and he’s currently listed as questionable (along with 10 other teammates, including tight end Rob Gronkowski, offensive lineman Marcus Cannon, safety Patrick Chung, and defensive end Trey Flowers).
Despite adding Josh Gordon to the mix, the Patriots are still eyeing some reinforcement as wide receiver. Over the past week, the team has auditioned three wideouts: Breshad Perriman, Jeremy Kerley, and Dontrelle Inman.

AFC Notes: Bridgewater, Pats, Dareus

May 27th, 2018 at 12:35pm CST by Rory Parks

Teddy Bridgewater has looked very good in OTAs, per Rich Cimini of ESPN.com, and if his strong performance continues, the Jets could be faced with a difficult decision. They could trade Bridgewater — which was the plan when they signed him — or they could name him their starting QB for at least the beginning of 2018 while they continue to groom Sam Darnold. Starting Bridgewater would likely mean keeping three quarterbacks on the roster, as the nearly 39-year-old Josh McCown doesn’t really have any trade value. But head coach Todd Bowles, who is coaching for his job this year, will want to start the best quarterback he has, and he is a big believer in Bridgewater.

Let’s take a look at a few more rumors and notes from the AFC:

Cimini also details Christian Hackenberg‘s last few months with the Jets before he was shipped to the Raiders. We already knew that Bowles was not aware Hackenberg changed his throwing motion until after the fact, but Hackenberg first approached Jets QB coach Jeremy Bates about making the change, and Bates was skeptical. That caused some friction between the two men, and it forced Hackneberg to go outside the organization to seek help with his mechanics.
Ben Volin of the Boston Globe points out how Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady continue to (needlessly) fan the flames of controversy that owner Robert Kraft keeps trying to extinguish, and that the apparent tension between Belichick and Brady may be one of the reasons why Brady has not attended spring practices. However, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com says Brady’s absence has not created as big of a leadership void as one might expect, as younger players are taking a more active role in that regard and veteran players like Julian Edelman and Dont’a Hightower are back after their 2017 season was marred by injury.
The Broncos released C.J. Anderson last month, leaving Devontae Booker and De’Angelo Henderson as the top candidates to become the team’s next No. 1 RB. However, Ryan O’Halloran of the Denver Post says Royce Freeman, whom the team selected in the third round of last month’s draft, has the durability and history of production to suggest he can be an every-down back at the next level, and he will get a chance to make a major impact right away. His heavy collegiate workload could have contributed to his falling to the third round.
Marcell Dareus more than wore out his welcome in Buffalo, leading the Bills to ship him to the Jaguars before last year’s trade deadline. Dareus, though, found new life in Jacksonville, and per Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk (citing Mike Kaye of First Coast News), Dareus continues to be a good soldier for the Jags. Head coach Doug Marrone said, “I’m very happy with the way he’s worked, the way he has come into camp. I think those are things he has done a much better job of than what maybe he had done in the past. I can appreciate that and see that in him.” That is not an insignificant statement, as Dareus’ effort in Buffalo seemed to evaporate after he signed his big-money extension, so perhaps he has matured and will continue to be a solid contributor to Jacksonville’s talented defensive front. Marrone, of course, was also Dareus’ coach in Buffalo during Dareus’ best two seasons to date (2013-14), so he has a pretty good reference point.

Patriots Notes: Kraft, Kaepernick, Brady, Gronk

May 19th, 2018 at 9:03am CST by Ben Levine

Add Robert Kraft to the list of executives and coaches who have been deposed in the collusion grievance filed by Colin Kaepernick. TMZ reports that the Patriots owner gave his deposition to lawyers yesterday. Seahawks coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Schneider were deposed earlier this week, as was Broncos general manager John Elway.

We learned back in October that Kaepernick had planned a grievance against the NFL, claiming that teams conspired to keep him out of the league. The whole situation stems from the quarterback’s decision to kneel during the national anthem back in 2016. A five-year starter in San Francisco, the 30-year-old was unable to find a gig during the 2017 campaign.

While the Broncos and Seahawks had been connected to Kaepernick, the Patriots never showed any reported interest in the embattled quarterback. Of course, Kraft has enough clout around the NFL, so he could provide lawyers with valuable information. While Kaepernick was present for previous depositions, it’s uncertain whether he attend Kraft’s.

Let’s take a look at some more notes out of New England…

Tom Brady has yet to attend the team’s voluntary OTAs, and ESPN’s Mike Reiss writes that his absence shouldn’t be cause for concern. Former Patriots players Matt Chatham and Rob Ninkovich said Brady’s decision to spend time with his family “isn’t a big deal,” although it might be notable if the quarterback misses the “third phase” of the workouts. As Reiss writes, this is the point of OTAs that Brady generally builds a rapport with his new wideouts. With three new receivers on the roster (including Jordan Matthews, Cordarrelle Patterson, and rookie Braxton Berrios), it might be telling if Brady also sits out this portion of OTAs.
The Patriots adjusted receiver Phillip Dorsett‘s contract earlier this week, but Reiss writes the move “shouldn’t have a trickle-down effect” on a Rob Gronkowski extension. The Patriots saved around $300K thanks to the new contract, and the renegotiation was more about Dorsett’s standing on the roster. The organization could have easily cut bait with the wideout, but the reduced salary means he can stick around and compete for a roster spot.
In case you missed it, the Patriots signed offensive lineman Jason King yesterday. This is the Purdue product’s third stint with the organization, and he was waived by New England only last week. To make room on the roster, the team waived wideout Chris Lacy. The Oklahoma State product had joined the team as an undrafted free agent earlier this month.

East Notes: McDaniels, Patriots, Z. Jones

January 14th, 2018 at 12:01pm CST by Rory Parks

Two of the Giants‘ top choices for their head coaching vacancy, Josh McDaniels and Matt Patricia, are reportedly set to accept jobs elsewhere. Ralph Vacchiano of SNY, however, says that Big Blue fans should not count out McDaniels just yet. One team source says the Giants have not been informed that McDaniels is out of the mix, and while it has been reported that McDaniels wants more control over personnel than New York is willing to allow, the team feels it can resolve that issue.

Nonetheless, Vacchiano concedes that Patricia is off the table, and if McDaniels does indeed take the Colts’ job, that leaves the Giants with Pat Shurmur and Steve Wilks as their top remaining targets. But Vacchiano says Shurmur appears to prefer the Cardinals’ gig, and Arizona is apparently prepared to offer it to him. So it appears that things may be coming full circle, with Wilks looking increasingly like New York’s next head coach.

Now let’s take a look at more notes out of the east:

Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (video link) reports that Patriots owner Robert Kraft, head coach Bill Belichick, and quarterback Tom Brady will meet this offseason to clear the air and to resolve whatever tensions exist among themselves. While reports of discord within the organization were likely overblown, Rapoport says there is indeed some tension within the triumvirate, and since Belichick and Brady are not going anywhere until they choose to leave, it makes sense that the three men would want to hash out their issues.
Bills WR Zay Jones reportedly played his rookie campaign with a torn labrum, and his father, former NFL linebacker Robert Jones, told Robert Quinn of the Bills Wire that his son will have surgery on Tuesday to repair the injury. Zay Jones finished the 2017 season with 27 catches for 316 yards and two touchdowns.
The Dolphins will not retain defensive line coach Terrell Williams, per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Williams coached the team’s D-line for the past three seasons, and his unit experienced mixed results in 2017. Jackson adds that former offensive coordinator Clyde Christensen has indeed been reassigned to a new role within the organization, as was expected after Miami hired Dowell Loggains as its new OC earlier this month.

Latest On Reported Patriots Turmoil

January 6th, 2018 at 4:15pm CST by Sam Robinson

The in-depth ESPN.com report detailing a rift in the Patriots’ power structure has triggered a fallout in New England. The Patriots have already released a statement attributed to Robert Kraft, Bill Belichick and Tom Brady, and Kraft further addressed this situation further on Saturday.

Kraft told SI.com’s Peter King he did not meet with Belichick and call for the coach/GM to trade Jimmy Garoppolo, whom the Pats had held onto despite rampant trade rumors throughout the offseason. The owner said Belichick informed him about the Garoppolo trade.

“Until Monday at the trade deadline — I believe that was Oct. 30 [31st] — the last time I talked to Bill about Jimmy’s situation was in a group with Bill, [team president] Jonathan [Kraft], [director of player personnel] Nick Caserio … a small group of us, I think in June. That is the last time I talked to Bill about it,” Kraft told King.

“The next time I spoke with Bill about it was the Monday before the trade deadline. He called me on that Monday and said he got a deal with San Francisco, Jimmy for a second-round pick and Brian Hoyer. Turns out they had to cut Hoyer and then we got him. But really, this was basically a second-round pick and Brian Hoyer for Jimmy. Bill asked me if I was OK with this. I was really taken aback a little bit. I wanted to think about it. I talked to Jonathan, who was okay with it, and I called Bill back and said, ‘OK.'”

Seth Wickersham’s report placed Garoppolo at the center of the dissent, with Belichick being against the trade and Brady not exactly embracing the current 49ers passer as his heir apparent. Kraft said the franchise tag, which Garoppolo is expected to receive as a 49er, would have come into play had the Patriots tried to keep both quarterbacks. Previous reports indicated Belichick “desperately wanted” to keep Garoppolo and that some in New England aren’t on board with the new Garoppolo-less future.

Kraft added he “absolutely” believes Belichick will be back for a 19th season coaching the Patriots in 2018.

This comes after a New York Daily News report connected Belichick to the Giants’ vacancy. Belichick began his head coaching career with the 1991 Browns after a successful run as Big Blue’s DC under Bill Parcells. The Daily News’ Gary Myers spoke to a source who said the 66-year-old Belichick “sees an opening to get to the Giants” and added that, should the Patriots indeed separate this power structure, “The Giants are the only place he wants to be.”

The Giants have interviewed both of Belichick’s top lieutenants — Josh McDaniels and Matt Patricia — for their HC job thus far.

Brady is under contract for two more seasons, and Belichick is believed to be under contract beyond this campaign, Mark Maske of the Washington Post reports. Sources informed Maske a Patriots breakup may not commence “in the immediate future.” Maske also reports Belichick and Kraft met over the summer and resolved to try and sign Garoppolo to an extension. At that point, Maske reports, the coach and owner discussed a contract that would pay him to be Brady’s backup going forward but one that would spike once he became the starter, an element also present in Wickersham’s piece.

Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald, however, reports neither Belichick nor Caserio ultimately proposed an extension to Garoppolo, whom Wickersham reported was offered a deal worth around $18MM AAV with playing-time escalators. The Boston-based reporter adds Brady did not ask Kraft to trade Garoppolo.

As for another Brady/Pats pact, Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald reports the sides have discussed a deal that would take him past 2019 — which would be the all-time great’s age-42 season. These talks, per Howe, began last year and would be aimed at reducing Brady’s $22MM cap hits in 2018 and ’19.

There figures to be more fallout regarding this report, one that comes barely a week before the Patriots begin their 15th playoff run in the Belichick/Brady era.

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