Patriots GM Gets Brutally Honest on Blame for 2024 Season

New England Patriots executive Eliot Wolf has placed blame for the team's failures during the 2024 NFL season.

Feb 27, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; New England Patriots general manager Eliot Wolf speaks during the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The New England Patriots were one of the worst teams in football this past season, going 4-13 for the second straight year and laying claim to probably the NFL's least talented roster.

Yes, the Patriots did get a nice rookie campaign from quarterback Drake Maye, which was their saving grace, but otherwise, 2024 was nothing short of an unmitigated disaster for the team.

While speaking to reporters at the Scouting Combine, New England executive Eliot Wolf took the blame for the Pats' brutal season.

“Last season, ultimately the roster was on me. We were 4-13," Wolf said. "Just didn’t get enough done. Certainly the free agency class didn’t live up to our expectations, the draft class — it’s too soon to tell — but we were expecting a bigger impact from some of those guys, and we’re still hopeful that they’ll get to that point.”

The Pats struck out in free agency almost entirely last year, whiffing on wide receiver Calvin Ridley and settling for K.J. Osborn, who they ended up cutting midseason.

Otherwise, the Patriots didn't sign any truly impactful players on the open market, and outside of Maye, their draft class was absolutely horrendous. At least in the first year.

The good news is New England is armed with the most cap space in the league heading into this offseason, so it should be able to make some moves. Then again, the Pats were loaded with cap room last March, too.

Still, this time around, the Patriots will likely be a more attractive free-agent destination because of Maye, and the presence of new head coach Mike Vrabel—whose success in Tennessee has been well-advertised—should also help.

We'll see if New England is actually able to make some drastic improvements and get back on track for 2025.

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