Adrian Kraus/Associated Press
The New England Patriots are heading into a critical time.
The NFL’s Scouting Combine is on tap in Indianapolis this week, followed by free agency a few weeks later in mid-March. Then as free agency starts to die down, everyone kicks it into gear for the NFL Draft in late April.
So if the Patriots have a plan to help get them back to contending for championships beyond what they’ve done with the coaching staff, it’s about to unfold.
More to the point: we’re going to see how much more team owner Robert Kraft factors into the team’s decision-making and what other strings he may be willing to pull.