The Patriots ranked 31st in the NFL in the NFL Players Association’s report card, with players surveyed criticizing the team for an outdated weight room, locker room and team plane, among other issues. Patriots owner Robert Kraft acknowledged his team needs to be better on that front.
Kraft said he’s already in the process of investing in improving upon the issues that were brought to light by the NFLPA survey, and that he appreciates hearing where the players stand.
“It was an eye-opener for me,” Kraft said. “In 31 years, going through these last two years and the way things were and the culture was there, it really opened my eyes in a way because we think we’re bonding and we have things, but it just was not a good environment, and we want to do everything we can to make this . . . one of the best places you can go. I think we had that for quite a while in terms of winning and people wanted to come here. The last couple of years changed it. Now it’s management and ownership’s job to do everything they can to create the culture that this is a place people want to come to. I really believe it is happening. Now we have to produce on the field.”
The Patriots are coming off back-to-back 4-13 seasons that Kraft called “brutal” and “the worst two years of our ownership.” He said he believes he now has the right people in place to improve the team on the field, and he’s going to do what it takes to make the off-field experience better for what he thinks can be a playoff team this year.
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