Mayo Hired, GM Wanted: Leading Patriots Candidates?
FOXBORO — The first domino in the New England Patriots’ post-Bill Belichick era did not take long to fall.
Less than 24 hours after announcing their “mutually parting of ways with their legendary coach of 24 years, the Patriots on Friday morning hired his successor in Jerod Mayo. According to ESPN, Mayo will be formally introduced as the team's new head coach at a press conference next week.
With Mayo set to take the helm, New England will now turn its attention to its pursuit of a new general manager. Since the Patriots Super Bowl win in 2004, the duties of de facto GM had been handled by Belichick. However, in adapting a more contemporary approach, team owner Robert Kraft and the Pats brass will now attempt to pair Mayo with a personnel expert capable of resurrecting a 4-13 team with far more questions than answers.
As the Patriots embark on their search, Patriots Nation may wish to keep an eye on these potential candidates.
Who will join new head coach Jerod Mayo as general manager of the New England Patriots?
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Eliot Wolf
Since 2022, Wolf has served as the Patriots Director of Scouting — becoming the first to hold the title in the organization. He originally joined the team prior to the 2020 season, where he worked alongside Belichick in the team’s front office. He has handled scouting duties, as well as holding the role of player personnel consultant. According to those within the organization, Wolf worked closely with both Belichick and former general manager Dave Ziegler in constructing New England’s 2021 roster. In addition to acting as a key Draft consultant, Wolf was heavily involved in the Pats’ pursuit of several notable free agents, including linebacker Matthew Judon, wide receiver Kendrick Bourne and tight end Hunter Henry.
The 41-year old has plenty of pedigree for the role, as the the son of Hall of Fame executive Ron Wolf, who built a Super Bowl champion for the Packers and contributed to others with the Raiders organization. Wolf has also spent time with both the Green Bay Packers and Cleveland Browns, holding executive titles in both scouting and assistant general manager.
Trey Brown
Presently serving as a Cincinnati Bengals senior personnel executive, Brown is an intriguing candidate. He started in the Pats' scouting department under Belichick in 2010 — first as a scouting assistant (2010) and then as an area scout from 2011-12. In 2013, he joined the Philadelphia Eagles, where he served in numerous capacities — most notably as director of college scouting from 2016-18. After joining the Bengals in 2019, Brown now holds the distinction of holding a notable front office position of three Super Bowl qualifiers (2011 Patriots, 2017 Eagles, 2021 Bengals), earning one ring with Philadelphia.
Accordingly, Brown has remained on the radar of several teams in search of a general manager. He has interviewed for GM jobs in the NFL on three separate occasions: with the Buffalo Bills in May 2017, the Oakland Raiders in December 2018, and the Las Vegas Raiders in January 2022. Brown is also reportedly has a “good relationship” with Mayo, which could factor in his favor.
Dave Ziegler
Despite being unceremoniously dismissed from his general manager post with the Las Vegas Raiders earlier this season, Ziegler remains a hot commodity as a potential front office hire. He first arrived in New England in 2012, spending three years as assistant director of pro scouting, four as director of pro personnel, and was promoted to assistant director of player personnel under Nick Caserio in 2020. Caserio has since become general manager of the Houston Texans. Ziegler served in the role of de facto general manager — officially titled as director of player personnel — with the Pats in 2021.
During his time with New England, Ziegler was described (as transcribed by the Boston Herald) as a “sharp, tireless evaluator, whose scouting reports have contributed to Super Bowl wins, while remaining proficient in all aspects of team-building.”
Scott Pioli
Pioli has long been recognized as one of the NFL’s top executives, having presided over player personnel for the Patriots, Kansas City Chiefs and Atlanta Falcons. During his time in New England, he quickly rose from assistant director of player personnel (2000) to director of player personnel (2001) and finally to vice president of player personnel his title with the Patriots from 2002-08. In that span, Pioli was a key component in compiling the rosters and staff of three Super Bowl championship teams (XXXVI, XXXVIII, XXXIX.) He was also named Executive of the Year by the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA) in 2003 and 2007. He would also win the award as Chief’s general manager in 2010.
Prior to Belichick’s departure, Pioli had reportedly been in contact with the Krafts, with an interest in “returning to the organization with or without Belichick.” Though he has not held an office with an NFL team since 2019 (assistant GM with Atlanta,) he has remained around the game with consulting projects and work with the league office.
Matt Groh
As New England’s current director of player personnel, Groh has just finished his 13th season with the Patriots. However, his close ties to Belichick make his retention a long shot. He served as the team’s college scouting director in 2021, having spent the previous 10 years in New England's scouting department. His insight and influence helped to craft a stellar draft haul just one year ago. Quarterback Mac Jones, defensive tackle Christian Barmore and running back Rhamondre Stevenson were among the standouts of New England’s 2021 Draft class, which was ranked first in the NFL by Pro Football Focus.
According to NFL Network's Ian Rapaport, also throw in former Tennessee Titans' GM Jon Robinson and Kansas City Chiefs' assistant GM Mike Borgonzi.
