We've heard Robyn Glaser's name a couple times in the past week -- first last Friday in Seth Wickersham's lengthy ESPN article about Bill Belichick's exit from the New England Patriots, then again Wednesday when our Phil Perry reported Glaser has assumed a new role now that Jerod Mayo is installed as head coach.
Glaser's new title, per Perry, is executive vice president of football business and senior advisor to the head coach. But what exactly does that mean? Will she be involved in the team's football operations, or will her focus be on other areas of the business?
Perry joined our Tom E. Curran on a new Patriots Talk Podcast to provide more detail on Glaser's background and her expected role going forward.
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"She was previously senior vice president of business affairs and chief administrative and compliance officer for the team," Perry said of Glaser. "Again, she's been around the team and been around the Kraft Group (the holding company led by Patriots owner Robert Kraft and his son, team president Jonathan Kraft) since 2007. Senior executive, I've been told today, 'super smart' and has had a variety of roles within the organization. She is helping facilitate contracts and hammering out language in contracts. She's not negotiating player contracts."
Curran added that Glaser was the Patriots' "point person" in dealing with the NFL during Deflategate, while Perry noted she was central in helping the team stay compliant with the league's COVID regulations during the 2020 season.
"She was a point person during COVID, is my understanding," Perry said. "She was the team's compliance officer, so the binder of boxes that you needed checked as as an NFL team to make sure that you were compliant with all the different COVID rules, she was the point person on that. So, she's done a lot of different things.
"She's helping players with social justice initiatives, has worked closely with Matthew Slater and Devin and Jason McCourty and Deatrich Wise. She does a lot. Incredibly intelligent, obviously very well-trusted by the Krafts, has a very good relationship with Jerod Mayo too.
" ... I think she's going to help Jerod Mayo handle a lot of the new things that will now come across his desk that haven't come across his desk before, that he may not always have the most time for because he's head coach now."
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According to Perry, Glaser could take on some of the responsibilities previously held by Berj Najarian, who was Belichick's "right-hand man" in New England as the team's director of football/head coach administration. Curran also could see Glaser being like Nancy Meier, the Patriots' director of scouting administration and the team's longest-tenured employee who handles many essential logistics behind the scenes.
In short, Glaser could have a host of responsibilities going forward, but Perry and Curran both noted that "picking players" and being involved in personnel decisions won't be one of them.
"Robyn Glaser is not going to try to force Marvin Harrison (Jr.) on you people," Curran added.
Also in this episode:
- Jerod Mayo makes it clear he doesn’t want to be Bill Belichick
- Who will have final say in Foxboro?
- Phil Perry's 1-on-1 with Jerod Mayo