The New England Patriots are in a new era after parting ways with their legendary head coach, Bill Belichick, who led the team to six Super Bowl wins and 17 divisional titles in 24 seasons. The Patriots are now under the guidance of rookie head coach Jerod Mayo, who will have to face the challenge of drafting a new quarterback and rebuilding the team’s culture.
Eliot Wolf takes a major shot at Bill Belichick
One of the Patriots’ key figures in the upcoming NFL Draft is Eliot Wolf, the director of scouting. Wolf represented the Patriots during this week’s NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis and seemingly took a major shot at Belichick’s coaching style and culture. He said the Patriots will have “less of a hard-ass vibe” and will be more communicative and open.
“It’s easy to say the culture has changed, but there’s no players here right now, so we’ll see if the culture has changed,” Wolf said in a Q&A with Media1. It is not too far to say the comment was a dig at Belichick, who ran a very tight ship and cracked down hard on players who did not follow the team’s expectations.
Patriots change their draft philosophy
Wolf also explained what he anticipates going forward, explaining the level of communication he is hoping for from his players. “I think it’s about people and developing people; it’s about doing the right thing, being honest and open, and making people comfortable enough if there’s an issue to say something,” he said.
The Patriots have also changed their draft philosophy, according to Wolf. He said they have “changed the grading system” and made it more similar to what they did in Green Bay. The previous Patriots system was more “this is what the role is,” and this is kind of value-based. So, it makes it a lot easier for scouts to rate guys and put them in a stack of “this guy is the best,” “this guy is the worst,” and everything in between falls into place.
Patriots face uncertainty at quarterback
The Patriots are set to move off Mac Jones, who was drafted by Brady last year, as his replacement. Jones has struggled in his three seasons with the Patriots, posting a 10–18 record as a starter. The Patriots are also meeting with one of the top quarterbacks at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis this week: Bailey Zappe, a junior from Wyoming. Zappe has thrown for 4,789 yards and 38 touchdowns with only six interceptions this season.
The Patriots will have to find a new direction after losing Belichick and Brady, who left for different teams last year. Mayo will have to prove himself as a capable leader and coach while drafting new talent and developing existing ones.
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