People around the NFL are really pumping Eliot Wolf’s tires
Jan 19, 2017; Ashwaubenon, WI, USA; Green Bay Packers director of football operations Eliot Wolf during practice at the Don Hutson Center in preparation for the NFC Championship game against the Atlanta Falcons. Mandatory Credit: Jim Matthews/Green Bay Press Gazette via USA TODAY Sports
The New England Patriots are coming off a 4-13 season and have their work cut out for them to rebuild their organization. But there are some execs around the National Football League who believe they’re in good hands with Eliot Wolf, a.k.a. their de facto general manager.
Wolf is technically the Patriots’ director of scouting, but multiple recent reports have indicated that he is working as if he’s the GM, just not with the official title. He’s not new to this, and he didn’t come out of nowhere. Wolf is the son of Hall-of-Fame former Packers GM Ron Wolf and has worked in various front office capacities since 2004, including Green Bay’s director of football operations.
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So, while the Patriots’ coaching hires so far under Wolf may feel underwhelming, the 2024 off-season is just getting started and it’s all going to come down to the players. But according to ESPN’s Dan Graziano, there are “a lot” of other experienced NFL figures who feel good about their chances of turning things around with Wolf running things.
![CANTON, OH - AUGUST 8: Ron Wolf and his son Eliot pose with Wolf's bust during the NFL Hall of Fame induction ceremony at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium on August 8, 2015 in Canton, Ohio. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)](https://985thesportshub.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/88/2024/02/Eliot-and-Ron-Wolf.jpg)
CANTON, OH – AUGUST 8: Ron Wolf and his son Eliot pose with Wolf’s bust during the NFL Hall of Fame induction ceremony at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium on August 8, 2015 in Canton, Ohio. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
Graziano wrote, in part: “Eliot Wolf’s apparent ascension to the top spot in the Patriots’ personnel department has a lot of people around the league encouraged about New England’s long-term prospects. There could be growing pains under first-time coach Jerod Mayo while the new staff settles in, but a lot of people I talk to say Wolf – a longtime Packers executive who has worked in New England’s front office since 2020 – is overdue for a chance to run his own front office show and will thrive in the role.”
Despite the confidence of people around the league in Wolf as the Patriots’ new GM-by-default, it really comes down to one thing: the quarterback position. Wolf needs to nail that part. But if and when he does, everything else could start falling into place for the rebuilding Patriots.
Wolf hopefully isn’t actually turning to 98.5 The Sports Hub for advice. But ideally, he’s doing a couple of the things from our 7-point plan to fix the Patriots roster, which you can read below.
A 7-point plan for the Patriots to fix their roster
The New England Patriots have a lot of work to do. This off-season, and the next, and the one after that.
But it’s still possible for the team to improve their roster in one year enough to return to playoff contention. It’s going to involve things that are never the ideal plan, like big free-agent spending. But that’s the situation the Pats have ended up in to start the Jerod Mayo era.
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Realistically, this rebuild is going to take years. Especially if they draft a quarterback and decide to sit and develop him for his rookie year. But drafting a quarterback with that third overall pick seems like the most logical, realistic, and likely outcome for the Patriots at that position.
![New England Patriots director of scouting Eliot Wolf is a key figure in the team's roster rebuild. (Jim Matthews/Green Bay Press Gazette via USA TODAY Sports)](https://985thesportshub.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/88/2024/02/Eliot-Wolf-Packers-2.jpg)
New England Patriots director of scouting Eliot Wolf is a key figure in the team’s roster rebuild. (Jim Matthews/Green Bay Press Gazette via USA TODAY Sports)
And even then, they’ll be far from done. They need at least one, if not two starting tackles. They could use multiple infusions of talent at wide receiver. And who knows, maybe the quarterback doesn’t work out and they have to draft another one down the road.
But! If the Patriots followed this 7-point plan, they’d position themselves well to turn things around quickly – provided they add the right players. Frankly, it would be great if they even did just one or two of these things. They almost certainly will, because some of these things are absolute musts and have been hinted at already, anyway. So, you can expect at least a couple of these things to be things.
Here’s what I believe the Patriots can accomplish all in just this one off-season, and give themselves a good chance to become AFC contenders once again.
Matt, a North Andover, Massachusetts native, has been with The Sports Hub since 2010. Growing up the son of Boston University All-American and Melrose High School hall-of-fame hockey player Steve Dolloff, sports was always a part of his life. After attending Northeastern University, Matt focused his love of sports on writing, extensively writing about all four major Boston teams. He also is a co-host of the Sports Hub Underground podcast and is a regular on-air contributor on the Sports Hub. Matt writes about all New England sports from Patriots football to Boston Celtics and Boston Bruins.