NFL Rumors: How Patriots GM Job Is Viewed Around League

The state of the Patriots' front office is up in the air, and people around the NFL are perplexed.

New England filled out its coordinator positions under first-year head coach Jerod Mayo, but the front office also is another piece to figure out after Bill Belichick parted ways with the franchise.

It's widely believed director of player personnel Matt Groh and director of scouting Eliot Wolf will continue in their roles with the latter expected to earn a "significant" promotion. Groh was at the 2024 Senior Bowl and claimed the process remained the same on the NFL draft, but that could be different if Wolf was running the show.

Mayo reportedly reached out to candidates, and similar to Alex Van Pelt's hire as offensive coordinator, an external candidate could make a huge impression to get hired quickly.

The Athletic's Jeff Howe spoke to NFL and New England sources, and they also wondered what the team would do as general manager. However, unlike the negative perception of the offensive coordinator position, the GM position is intriguing for people around the league.

"Whether the Patriots name an official general manager, they will tab someone to run the department, and it's viewed as an attractive job opening," Howe wrote Saturday. "They'll have a blank slate with a new head coach and an owner, Robert Kraft, who is highly regarded by league executives.

"So, while sources around the league are curious about the process of hiring a department head, it's also because they're hoping to get in on the action."

If the new front office head does have control of free agency and the draft, it certainly would be an exciting opportunity to try to get the Patriots back into relevancy after a disaster of a season.