Patriots owner Robert Kraft acted swiftly and decisively in relieving Head Coach Jerod Mayo of his duties after a dismal 4-13 season. To put a cap on this disaster, the Patriots won when they should have lost against the Bills in their final game. The Buffalo Bills deprived the Pats of the first pick overall in the 2025 NFL draft by losing that game and laughing all the way to the playoffs.
Mayo's job status was probably already decided, but if not, winning when you actually shouldn't have been a tipping point anyway. Whatever. The Patriots relieved him of his duties and will hire a new head coach to run the on-field (and other?) operations.
Those "other operations" are the subject of the thoughts here. Kraft must be saluted for taking a difficult personal step and firing a former player and coach he obviously felt strongly about. It was a tough but necessary choice, and Kraft stepped up and did it.
But now, the complementary piece must be addressed if Kraft is to totally right the mess he created by dismissing Bil Belichick and essentially keeping his personnel team in place. This group flubbed multiple drafts and free agency for several years.
The Patriots cannot go into the 2025 season with the same personnel team
Kraft allowed former Belichick assistant Eliot Wolf to run the 2024 offseason. Wolf did little in free agency to help the team, signing lots of current players from the 3-14 team to extensions. None of those signings did anything "to improve" the 2024 team. His free agency grade was solid: D.
Then, Wolf was given the keys to the 2024 Patriots NFL draft. To his credit (or following Kraft's order?), he drafted Drake Maye with the third overall pick in the 2024 draft. It was the right pick and worked out brilliantly. It was a smashing beginning to his tenure as the Patriots de facto General Manager (GM). He then conducted the rest of the draft.
That, in hindsight (though, in fairness, he was credited here with at least drafting primarily offense and adding an offensive tackle) was a disaster. These picks largely flopped. No pick after Maye contributed much to the lackluster, once-again Patriots offense in 2024. The draft grade was a C+/D because of Drake Maye.
Wolf and company blundered free agency and the draft. The season's history was written in stone before a ball was even kicked. To put an exclamation point on Wolf's performance, he entered an NFL season without a single left tackle of any note on the roster and failed to either sign or draft one. So, what should the owner do to rectify the situation he created? Here is the prescription.
Robert Kraft has a chance to right his former wrongs by hiring a personnel head
Robert Kraft created the 4-13 dilemma of 2024 by his offseason hirings. Both the Head Coach and Executive Vice President of Personnel had no experience in their respective positions and were in way over their heads. Predictably, both failed. Experience is key in the NFL, and neophytes will fail more often than not. That was the 2024 New England Patriots.
Mr. Kraft is a good person. He thinks with his heart often, but not with his head. Placing two inexperienced personnel he likes as persons in charge of the two most important aspects of his franchise was a disaster in waiting. Neither had the experience to succeed in the formidable jobs in which he placed them. Kraft himself has acknowledged the same on Mayo.
Yet, now he persists in ignoring that the current personnel team is not ready for prime time. They failed to advise Bill Belichick (no matter how pig-headed he may have been), and they've now failed miserably in directing the team's 2024 personnel fortunes.
What needs to be done? It's this. Robert Kraft has to admit his second major 2024 gaffe, personnel, and hire a President of Football Operations to run the operation with and for the new Head Coach. Wolf and company can stay in the background and do their metrics. That's fine. No one else has to lose their jobs.
Yet, the Patriots need a team who've had experience and success in personnel management. The current operation has failed. They need to hire a top NFL personnel executive to get this formerly great franchise back on track. Does Kraft have the fortitude to admit yet another mistake? We'll see. But everything in 2025 and beyond rides on his decision. Hopefully, he'll get it right.