Patriots’ Matt Groh Feeling At Home in New Role
With the 2022 NFL Draft set to begin in less than two weeks, the New England Patriots continue to make preparations for what promises to be a pivotal Draft for the team. Though head coach Bill Belichick remains a constant presence both on the field and in the front office, several familiar faces will be in new places in the Pats’ hierarchy.
Enter new Director of Player Personnel, Matt Groh.
For the first time since his promotion was announced in February, Groh met with members of the media via video conference on Friday afternoon. Amidst a wide range of topics discussed [from the speed of the front seven to the need for an ‘immediate impact’ wide receiver] it became perfectly clear that Groh is both pleased and honored to hold such a prominent position in the Patriots organization.
“I would say first and foremost, it's trusting the people who we already have in the building,” Groh told reporters. “[The people] who I already have great relationships with and being very confident in their ability to do their jobs and letting them do their jobs while still being able to implement my thoughts into those different situations…I just try and soak that in and put it all together and help the team make the best decisions we can.”
Groh succeeds Dave Ziegler, who left alongside former Pats’ offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels to become the general manager and head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders, respectively. He is entering his 12th year with the Patriots, having served as the team’s college scouting director in 2021. Groh spent the previous 10 years in New England's scouting department.
Groh’s new position is a bit of a departure from his previous job duties, as his focus and expertise lies mostly within collegiate scouting. While some had considered Eliot Wolf (who currently serves as a Patriots scouting consultant, with experience in both college and pro level scouting) as a potentially better fit, Groh gets the nod as the Pats new top personnel man. As such, Wolf, as well as Steve Cargile, and Matt Patricia [who hold both scouting and advisory roles under Belichick] are continuing on in their current positions.
Despite some backlash from the fanbase on Patricia’s expected substantial role on the Pats’ offensive coaching staff, Groh was complimentary of the Pats longtime coach and advisor. In fact, he revealed that Patricia had a notable hand in New England’s trade for star wideout DeVante Parker.
“Certainly, it got kick-started on their end with them adding a different player [receiver Tyreek Hill] and then where they were at with their wide receiver room, and then…having the opportunity to add a great player to our roster,” Groh advised.
“They [Dolphins] weren’t going to be able to just keep everybody, and when [Parker] became available…I would say Matt Patricia did a great job of being on that early and kind of getting that information to us as quickly as he could. We were in on that early, and it really came together well for us. We’re really excited about having DeVante here.”
In addition to Patricia, Groh said that he has leaned on Wolf, Carlisle, Nancy Meier (director of scouting administration), Richard Miller (director of research) and Brian Smith (personnel coordinator) for guidance.
Still, if Groh needs help, there is apparently no better consigliere than Bill Belichick.
“Obviously, Coach is the general manager, Coach is in charge,” Groh said. “He’s been doing this a long time. The more I can learn from Coach Belichick and a lot of the other guys around here, I’m gonna do that.”
While Groh’s candor regarding Belichick’s authoritative role in the Pats’ front office may have been surprising, the substance of his statements is far from a surprise. New England’s head coach is indeed the final say on personnel matters. However, Groh lauded the Patriots brain trust as a collective effort.
“It’s definitely a collaborative process. It’s great working with Coach…Absolutely love it,” Groh remarked. “With all the input that he asks from us, and just getting his ideas, and the information that he has on these players through his different relationships across the country at different schools, it’s been fantastic. I definitely take it as a huge honor, given the people who I’m working with and the people who have sat in this chair before me — to Scott Pioli, Nick Caserio, Dave Ziegler. I think a lot of all those people, and to be in this chair is an honor, knowing that Dave sat in it, and then really to be sitting here with all the people who I’m so fortunate to work along with.”
Groh now becomes the Patriots third Director of Player Personnel in as many seasons. His predecessor, Ziegler, held the title for just one year in New England. However, like Groh, he had spent nearly a decade in the Patriots' system. Prior to Ziegler, Nick Caserio was director of player personnel for 13 seasons before becoming the Houston Texans general manager in 2021.
