BOCA RATON, Fla. –There are busy people everywhere you look at the Boca Raton Resort. Robert Kraft is among them, and perhaps busier than most.
Normally, at the NFL's Annual Meeting, he breaks around midday and spends about a half hour, sometimes longer, entertaining questions from reporters. Today, however, he had less than 15 minutes to spare in between meetings with other NFL owners and executives.
But in the late afternoon, he found a few extra minutes to talk with patriots.com's Bob Socci about some other team items that he didn't get to address earlier in the day.
He began by welcoming back offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia, who ended his two-year retirement recently to re-join Bill Belichick's staff.
"He's so young anyhow, I don't know why he did retire," Kraft said. "He does such an outstanding job in training and developing. I know our o-line people are very excited that he's coming back."
While Scarnecchia is returning, linebacker and co-captain Jerod Mayo has decided to leave professional football on his own terms. "One of the finest young men ever to come through our system" was how Kraft described New England's top pick in 2008, who announced his retirement via social media earlier this year.
"He's someone who'll be a great success in the business world," Kraft predicted. "He's ready to make a transition… I wish him the best. He's a very special young man. We're lucky to have had him."
Kraft also shared his thoughts on the promotion of Belichick's eldest son, Stephen, to an assistant coaching position, as well as his younger son, Brian, being hired in the Patriots scouting department.
"There's a bond there that's special," Kraft observed.
Finally, the subject of international NFL football came up. Earlier today, media reports indicated that the NFL could host a regular season contest in Germany as early as 2017 or even China in 2018.
It's been four years since the Patriots last played in London, but Kraft sounded confident that his team could soon be headed back there or to another foreign city.
"If I were a betting man, I would think we had a chance of going to London," Kraft smiled.
On Tuesday, we'll sit down for breakfast with Belichick here at the Annual Meeting in Boca Raton. You can see that Q&A session live and on-demand here on the team's website.
