Patriots owner Robert Kraft: 'I don't answer to Tom Brady'

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft tried to put a lid on the boiling pot that Tom Brady is stewing over his contract extension and by the team letting Wes Welker go to the Broncos.  Kraft put the kibosh on the notion that Brady felt betrayed by the Patriots release of Welker and claimed his quarterback's new contract had no strings attached.

On Monday at the NFL owners meeting in Phoenix, Kraft debunked the notion that Brady was disheartened by his team's inability to keep Welker. He made it clear that the future Hall of Fame quarterback's decision to sign a below-market contract extension didn’t come with any hidden clauses.

Rumors that Brady wasn't to pleased at the Patriots organization after the team couldn't — or wouldn't — sign his favorite target last week.

“I don’t answer to Tom Brady,” Kraft said at the NFL32.  “He’s an important member of the team and we’ve chatted. He did what he did to put us in the best position to build a team around him and win games. But he has never... it has been reported that he, or people close to him, have made certain comments. None of that is true. I’ve spoken with him directly. Whomever is creating that impression is mistaken”

The Patriots signed wideout Danny Amendola to a 5-year, $31 million deal last week, but Kraft insisted that retaining Welker was the priority. Welker signed a two-year, $12 million deal to play with Peyton Manning in Denver.