The Patriots’ search for their lead front office executive is over

Just about a week after the New England Patriots officially opened their search for a new executive to lead their front office, the search has come to a close. It ends in the way most expected.

On Saturday, the Patriots announced Eliot Wolf is being named the team's executive vice president of player personnel. The Patriots also interviewed Eagles director of scouting Brandon Hunt and Samir Suleiman for the job.

Wolf, 42, was previously the Patriots' director of scouting. He initially joined the Patriots in 2020 as a consultant after spending 13 years with the Packers then becoming the assistant general manager of the Cleveland Browns.

Following the departure of Bill Belichick this past offseason, Wolf led the Patriots' front office. That included rebuilding the coaching staff, handing out multiple big-money contract extensions and overseeing a draft in which the Patriots had the third overall pick.

According to the Patriots' announcement, Wolf's new role "will include the overall direction of the personnel department, the management of the salary cap and in control of the 53-man roster." That makes him the equivalent of the team's general manager. The Patriots haven't had a titled GM since 1990.

"It is an honor to accept this position with the New England Patriots," Wolf said, via a statement from the team. "I am grateful to the Kraft family for this opportunity and want to thank my family, especially my wife and children, for the support and strength they have given me as I move forward in my new role. I also want to thank all of the people I have worked with and learned from over the years."

No contract details of Wolf's new role - such as salary or duration - were not immediately reported.

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On Saturday morning New England Patriots rookie minicamp continued on the practice fields behind Gillette Stadium. The team held the second of two rookie minicamp practice sessions, this one open to the media (Friday's practice was closed).

Saturday's session resembled a lighter OTA practice. The period lasted just about an hour and consisted of mostly individual and positional drills against air. Late in practice the offense did a walkthrough-type period against air, and then against the defense before all the players ran the hills to close out the day.

Still, this was the first chance to see the Patriots' rookie class in person and in the context of an NFL offense. It was also the first chance to see the new-look coaching staff run a practice.

What stood out from the one hour session? Here are the big takeaways from Saturday's Patriots rookie minicamp practice...

We didn't see too many deep balls thrown on Saturday, but the arm strength of both Drake Maye and Joe Milton was easy to see. The way the ball zipped out of their hands comes across at another level in person than it does on tape. 

They did open it up a little bit throwing individually to receivers midway through practice. Both connected easily on deep corners, and then Maye threw a ball deep up the seam to tryout tight end Owen Glascoe. Maye also showed a strong command of the offense when it came to reps that featured a more complete offense (rather than just individual drills). 

As for Milton, the zip was once again real - but hurt him as much as it helped him at times. More of his incompletions were due to the ball bouncing off the hands of receivers on shorter routes rather than outright misses. Milton's velocity will be something the receivers will need time to get used to, but at the same time he'll need to work on utilizing more touch passes as well. 

When it comes to the coaching staff, Mayo told reporters before practice that offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt will be "the lead guy" from the coaching staff responsible for working with the quarterbacks on a day-to-day basis. "There has to be balance there, you don’t want Drake hearing too many voices," Mayo explained. "Once again, that’s why I’m saying that AVP (Alex Van Pelt) will be the lead guy as far as that communication with Drake."

That played out in reality at practice. Van Pelt was in Maye's ear for most of the afternoon, while quarterbacks coach T.C. McCartney split his time between Maye and Milton. 

The Patriots have three drafted pass-catchers in this minicamp - wide receivers Ja'Lynn Polk and Javon Baker and tight end Jaheim Bell. Polk, a second-round pick, seems to have emerged as the leader of the group, going first in drills and appearing to be the more vocal of the players.

During drills, that biggest thing that stood out about Polk is how smoothly he moves. Listed at 6-foot-1, 203 pounds he's much more crisp in his routes and quick in and out of cuts than is expected as a player of his size.

With Baker, his approach at the catch point was on display. He would attack the ball with his hands, reaching out and snatching throws out of the air rather than waiting for the ball to come to him.

As for Bell, a big question for him coming out of the draft is what position he'd play. In college, he moved all around the formation. Saturday didn't see Bell doing too much out of the ordinary, but it is still early and this period of the offseason is more about general fundamentals than getting into the nitty gritty of assignments.

For the few instances the offense worked in a team setting, the Patriots put their two draft picks - tackle Caedan Wallace and guard Layden Robinson - on the left side. Given the Patriots' open door at left tackle (Eliot Wolf said before the draft Chuks Okorafor is the leading candidate to be the starter) and questions about Cole Strange's health to start the season, those are the two spots where they will likely have the best chance at earning playing time early.

In addition to the Patriots' draft picks, the practice also included UDFAs and player who are with the team on a tryout basis (who don't count against the roster). Rookie minicamp can be the start of a roster push for those players.

From the UDFA group, running back DeShaun Fenwick was moving well during handoff drills. This all comes with a grain of salt as there wasn't a ton of true football involvement from the running back position, but the brief chances for Fenwick, who comes in at 6-foot-1, 223 pounds were encouraging.

As for the tryout players, the coaching staff seemed to want  an extended look at wide receiver David Wallis. Wallis, from Division-III Randolph-Macon, saw the most time in team drills of any of the tryout skill position players. He'll be a name to watch for the Patriots to potentially add to the roster before or during training camp.

A new coaching staff means the Patriots are using some new drills/techniques at this year's practices. The one that stood out the most was with the offensive linemen. The Patriots used a modified blocking sled, originally created by longtime Cleveland Browns offensive line coach Bill Callahan - who Van Pelt and new offensive line coach Scott Peters worked under in Cleveland. The sled bends down at the top, forcing players to focus on using the proper leverage. For the wide receivers, the Patriots added a drill that keys in on wide receivers using proper weight distribution during routes.

Only one player listed on the roster wasn't spotted at Saturday's practice. UDFA offensive lineman Zuri Henry wasn't on the field. Between the Patriots' draft picks and UDFAs, he's the only one with significant experience at left tackle.

Next time the Patriots' are on the practice fields it will be with the full team - not just the rookies. OTAs begin May 20, with the first practice scheduled to be open to the media.

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.