Kraft: Patriots "won't be signing" Kenny Britt
The Patriots bringing in Kenny Britt for a visit a week ago raised eyebrows for two reasons. One, the 6'3, 220 pound Britt would bring a different dynamic to the Patriots passing game. However, the other was that Britt had one a hell of a police record for the Patriots to ponder bringing into their organization just one year after having the Aaron Hernandez situation blow up in their face.
Speaking with the Herald's Ron Borges, owner Robert Kraft confirmed suspicion that the he would not sign off on bringing in a player with nine police incidents in his five year career, especially only a year removed from promising thorough review of the team's hiring process in the aftermath of the Hernandez arrest.
"We won't be signing him. That won't happen" Kraft said.
I had my hopes up that the Pats would roll the dice on Britt, considering it would be a cost effective way to add a potential number one receiver. However, it's hard to blame Kraft for his stance, as he's less than a year removed from having to answer questions about one of his players allegedly being a psychopathic murderer. You could tell that situation stung for Kraft, who has always wanted his team to have high-character guys ever since his late wife Myra famously vetoed the Patriots drafting of all-around awful human being Christian Peters.
As for newly signed cornerback Brandon Browner, Kraft asserted that the Patriots looked heavily into the circumstances surrounding his multiple NFL suspensions.
“I think we’ve done a very good job in how we’ve vetted all people we’re looking at. We’re human beings. Life takes many twists and turns that none of us can fully appreciate. (Browner) wasn’t an individual that was violent with women or doing things that I would personally find objectionable. And there’s always two sides to a story."
“We’re not going to be perfect, but given the information I had, and the transaction we did, I’m comfortable, and pretty positive about him joining us. Hopefully he and Revis will be a great combination . . . not that I’m telling Bill who to start.”
It seems the Patriots standard is pretty simple: they'll overlook most non-violent transgressions, even DUI (the reason Alfonzo Dennard is currently in a Nebraska jail), but won't be taking big risks when it comes to violent incidents in the Post-Hernandez era. In Britt's case, his refusal to cooperate with police last year after driving his stabbed friend to the hospital likely sealed his fate.
By the way, the fact that DeSean Jackson apparently had $250,000 and two semi-automatic handguns out in the open of his Philly apartment when he was robbed this January won't present him in a favorable light to Kraft. I wouldn't expect much to develop on that front either.
