The New England Patriots lost both a head coach and a general manager the moment they moved on from Bill Belichick.
Ever since announcing Jerod Mayo as the new head coach, the team has been in scramble mode conducting interviews and looking to fill positions on the coaching staff with no single individual in charge of the front office.
During Mayo’s introductory press conference, owner Robert Kraft explained it would be a collaborative effort with the personnel decisions. The two key individuals in the decision-making is expected to be director of player personnel Matt Groh and director of scouting Eliot Wolf.
However, per the Boston Sports Journal’s Mike Giardi, via NESN’s Dakota Randall, Wolf is believed to be the one that will eventually run the front office.
Giardi wrote:
Some external and internal sources believe Elliott Wolf will eventually be the choice to run the front office. However, it remains unlikely that he’ll get the title of general manager. He has established an excellent relationship with the Krafts and appeals to them partly because he didn’t grow from the Belichick tree. Wolf has filled several roles during his career, including scouting for the Green Bay Packers (while working under his father, legendary GM Ron Wolf) and aiding Mayo in his coordinator search.
It’s no surprise that the Patriots would be looking to get away from the Belichick model of drafting and signing players, considering that’s been the biggest issue for the team.
Despite Belichick’s ability to still coach at a high level, he had far too many misfires with the personnel decisions, particularly on the offensive side of the ball, to the point where he wasn’t able to overcome them on the football field. The Patriots probably aren’t looking to run that back with Groh.
Perhaps Wolf is the best internal option to provide new direction for an organization that desperately needs it.
