Despite his important job title, Matt Groh is a name unfamiliar to many Patriots fans around New England.
That might change in the near future.
Groh is in the early days of his second offseason as the Patriots’ director of player personnel, having replaced Dave Ziegler roughly a year ago. Although Bill Belichick is New England’s de facto general manager, Groh is his right-hand man in terms of making roster-building decisions.
The 42-year-old apparently is taking on more responsibility. In a notes column published Sunday morning, ESPN’s Mike Reiss offered insight into Groh’s role in the Patriots recently re-signing special teams ace Matthew Slater.
“When special teams veteran Matthew Slater finalized his previous two-year contract in 2021, Matt Patricia signed it on behalf of the Patriots, a reflection of Patricia’s work in a general manager-type role at that time,” Reiss wrote. “Slater’s most recent one-year contract was signed by Matt Groh, which some around the NFL viewed as a reflection of his growing responsibilities as director of player personnel.”
Groh is a former scout who was heavily involved in New England’s draft process last year and confidently pushed back against criticisms of what, at the time, was a polarizing draft class. He eventually was vindicated, as the Patriots received significant contributions from multiple rookies this season.
Whether Groh and the Patriots will find similar success in the 2023 NFL Draft remains to be seen. But if they do find more impact players, Groh surely will start getting far more credit and notoriety than he currently gets.
