Bill Belichick praises Matt Patricia for his role in the Patriots offseason
Fans didn’t know what to think when Matt Patricia rejoined the Patriots staff back in January. He was coming off a rocky three-year tenure in Detroit, and there didn’t seem to be an exact opening for him, with the initial report stating he’d be filling “a variety of roles.”
Fast forward four months and (pending the draft) the Patriots have had by just about all accounts a tremendous offseason. Patricia has seemingly been the middle of it, even serving at the team’s signatory on some of the new contracts.
Speaking with Scott Zolak in a Patriots.com video, Bill Belichick pointed out Patricia’s contributions to the process.
“It’s good to have Matt Patricia back. He’s been involved,” Belichick said. “He’s done this for the last three years in a different organization. So he’s very familiar with our process, his process and all the things that go around that. He’s been a very valuable resource and confidant. Somebody to talk to who’s been through the same things that we’ve been through. His experience and perspective have been extremely valuable.”
With the Patriots offseason process reportedly ‘more collaborative‘ this year, it’s notable to see Patricia taking a focused role. Belichick also credited three others of the front office, who are starting to become more well-known names in New England.
“Dave [Ziegler], Eliot Wolf and Matt Groh have done a fantastic job of putting things together this spring,” he told Zo. “I think that we’ve gotten a lot done. I think we’re well prepared, got a lot of good information. Hopefully we can make some good decisions here.”
Ziegler in particular is a name Patriots fans should become familiar with. He’s been with the Patriots since 2013, and recently served as the assistant director of player personnel under Nick Caserio. With Caserio now in Houston, Ziegler seems to have assumed the role.
As for the other two, Wolf is listed as a ‘front office consultant’ while Groh is one of the team’s main scouts. All three have been fixtures at pro days this spring.
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Alex Barth is a writer and digital producer for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Thoughts? Comments? Questions? Looking for a podcast guest? Let him know on Twitter @RealAlexBarth or via email at abarth@985TheSportsHub.com.
