PATRIOTS NAME DE FACTO GM ELIOT WOLF THEIR EXECUTIVE VP OF PLAYER PERSONNEL
The New England Patriots have officially named de facto General Manager Eliot Wolf as their Executive Vice President of Player Personnel, the team announced on Saturday.
As per a statement released by the Patriots, Wolf, who was in charge of the Patriots’ draft last month following long-time Head Coach/General Manager Bill Belichick’s exit in January, will now be responsible for the “overall direction of the personnel department, the management of the salary cap” and will be “in control of the 53-man roster.”
Wolf has been in and around the league for several decades since he joined the Green Bay Packers as a Pro Personnel Assistant in 2004. The 42-year-old spent 14 seasons with the Packers (2004-17) before moving on to the Browns in 2018 as the Assistant General Manager. After a tumultuous two years in Cleveland, Eliot was ready for a new challenge, ultimately landing in New England.
“As I have stated multiple times during the offseason, the plan was to observe the working relationship and involvement between Eliot [Wolf] and Jerod [Mayo] and see how they managed our offseason personnel decisions,” said Patriots owner Robert Kraft in a statement released by the team. “Then, following the draft, we could formally undertake a process for setting up the permanent structure of our personnel draft.”
“I have been impressed with Eliot’s management style and experience and I’m excited that he has agreed to take on this new position.”
Wolf originally joined the Patriots ahead of the COVID-19 season as a scouting consultant before being promoted to director of scouting in 2022, a role he’s played over the past two years. Just four years into his time in Massachusetts, the University of Miami alumnus gets a much deserved second promotion, as New England steps into a new era for the franchise. Wolf, an Oakland native, is now entering his fifth season with the Patriots.
“It is an honor to accept this position with the New England Patriots,” said Wolf. “I am grateful for 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.”
The son of former Packers GM and 2015 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee, Ron Wolf, Eliot has been in an NFL front office in every capacity except for the General Manager position and will have to remain patient with a storied franchise that generally hasn’t had such a role in its football structure.
The move to name Wolf as the team’s Executive Vice President of Player Personnel means the Patriots still won’t have a General Manager in title, as it has been for a long time in New England. Wolf, however, will continue to perform many of the General Manager duties, including management of the salary cap and the determination of the final 53-man roster at the end of training camp.
-Maher Abucheri
Twitter: @pabloikonyero
Photo: Brian McDermott. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.