Four insights from Eliot Wolf’s intriguing Patriots press conference

Four insights from Eliot Wolf’s intriguing Patriots press conference originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

In Jerod Mayo’s first press conference as New England Patriots head coach last month, he emphasized how differently he’d run the team than his predecessor, Bill Belichick.

The same goes for Eliot Wolf in the front office, it appears.

Wolf, who is officially listed as the Patriots’ director of scouting but is the team’s de facto front office leader, spoke to reporters for the first time Tuesday at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. The 41-year-old executive fielded questions on several hot-button issues, such as New England’s plans for the No. 3 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the futures of Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe, and his philosophy when it comes to roster-building.

Here are Wolf’s most notable comments from Tuesday’s press conference and what they tell us about how the Patriots will execute their most important offseason of the century.

A new player evaluation system

Say goodbye to the “Patriot Way” and hello to the “Packer Way.”

Wolf, who spent 14 seasons in the Packers’ front office from 2004 to 2017, revealed the Patriots have changed their draft grading system to more closely resemble what he used in Green Bay.

“It’s a little bit more similar to what we did in Green Bay,” Wolf said. “The previous Patriots system was more ‘this is what the role is’ and this is kind of value-based. So, it makes it a lot easier for scouts to rate guys and put them in a stack of ‘this guy is the best; this guy is the worst’ and everything in between falls into place, rather than more nuanced approaches. I just think it accounts value better and it makes it easier for the scouts.”

A change to the grading system is a significant development entering a draft in which New England owns its highest pick since 1993 and three selections in the top 70. The Patriots under Belichick often had vastly different grades for draft prospects than other teams (see: Cole Strange in 2022),…

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Author : NBC Sports Boston

Publish date : 2024-02-27 18:10:53

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