The New England Patriots front office will operate much differently without longtime head coach and de facto general manager Bill Belichick.
Director of scouting Eliot Wolf navigated New England through NFL free agency and the draft following Belichick's departure in January. He was the primary decision-maker for all personnel moves, including the potentially franchise-altering selection of quarterback Drake Maye with the No. 3 overall pick.
Despite Wolf's busy offseason leading the front office, the Patriots are in the midst of a search for their next head of football operations. The official title for the role will be "executive vice president of player personnel," according to The MMQB's Albert Breer.
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Our Phil Perry reported that Wolf is the "overwhelming favorite" for the job and the organization's search is a mere "formality." Multiple executives have interviewed for the role, but New England is obligated under the Rooney Rule to undergo a search with at least two minority candidates interviewed.
Breer shed light on how the Patriots front office will function once they hire their next "executive vice president of player personnel."
"Patriots coach Jerod Mayo and the new EVP of player personnel will both report to ownership," he wrote on X. "The EVP of player personnel is expected to final say on the (53-man roster), as well as oversight on the (salary) cap, analytics, etc."
The most interesting takeaways from Breer's report: the title is "vice" president rather than "president," and whoever it is will report to the Krafts. That seems to indicate Robert and Jonathan Kraft will have far more say on personnel decisions than in years past when Belichick had complete control.
Philadelphia Eagles director of scouting Brandon Hunt and former Carolina Panthers director of player negotiations and salary cap manager director Samir Suleiman are the only known external candidates to interview for the Patriots' executive vice president of player personnel role. After all that Wolf has done for the organization over the last four months, it would be a stunner if he doesn't earn the official title.
