A front-runner appears to have emerged for the Patriots GM position
Though the New England Patriots haven’t named a successor for Bill Belichick as the team’s general manager, it appears a front-runner is emerging.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported on Wednesday that director of scouting Eliot Wolf “will be in charge of the personnel department, with control of the 53-man roster working closely with Jerod Mayo.”
Director of player personnel Matt Groh will oversee college scouting, per Rapoport, likely meaning Wolf will assume more of a GM role although he may not explicitly be given the title.
New England also added former Miami Hurricanes general manager of football operations Alonzo Highsmith to its personnel department on Wednesday, though his title was not announced.
Highsmith spent the last two seasons with the Hurricanes after several years in the NFL as a senior personnel executive the Green Bay Packers (2012-17), vice president of player personnel with the Cleveland Browns (2018-19) and personnel executive with the Seattle Seahawks (2020-22).
Belichick, who served as New England’s de facto GM during his 24-year run with the team, previously had final say over the Pats’ roster. The last time the Patriots had an official GM who didn’t also serve as the head coach was Bobby Grier, who held the role from 1997-99.
In fact, two of New England’s last three GMs have also had dual-roles as head coach.
Aside from Belichick (.720 win percentage), the winningest GM in Patriots franchise history is Chuck Fairbanks, who had a 41-31 record (.569 win percentage) from 1974-78.
Of the 14 GMs in team history, only two aside from Belichick have lasted longer than five seasons — Pat Sullivan (1983-90) and Mike Holovak (1961-68).
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