Alonzo Highsmith hired to front office

[mike_usagisan]

Good question. Not sure if AH will be GM here so might not apply?

I think he meant for Eliot Wolf being GM.

 

[RobertWeathers]

I think they let the draft happen, then Groh leave (I guess) and then they announce it?

I've seen housecleaning happen before and after. No idea.

 

[RobertWeathers]

I think he meant for Eliot Wolf being GM.

Ah.

Applies to GMs as well.

Assuming Wolf was already here and a title change has not gone into effect maybe for the time being they've circumvented the rule (like naming a successor)

The Rooney Rule | NFL Football Operations

operations.nfl.com

 

[mike_usagisan]

I've seen housecleaning happen before and after. No idea.

And I'm not sure if Wolf is becoming GM or what. I'm sure they can find people to interview to satisfy Rooney Rule if they do decide to make him GM, anyway.

 

[jdlboot14]

Everyone is assuming a lot from the last name - Wolf.
He's not his dad, he hasn't won anything. He actually (along with all the staff they're adding) worked a lot with the Packers and Browns during a stretch when they were very average to bad.
Why do people make it seem like this is all better than BB's system that owned the NFL for 20 years.

 

[signbabybrady]

Emmitt Smiths backup in Tecmo Superbowl

 

[RobertWeathers]

The last time we had an exec from the U was Sam Jankovic and that worked out great...

 

[venecol]

Everyone is assuming a lot from the last name - Wolf.
He's not his dad, he hasn't won anything. He actually (along with all the staff they're adding) worked a lot with the Packers and Browns during a stretch when they were very average to bad.
Why do people make it seem like this is all better than BB's system that owned the NFL for 20 years.

Because we've moved on from Bill. All we can do is follow the developments. Nobody has any idea how it all plays out.

There seems to be a plan though, which in and of itself, is encouraging. It is what it is.

 

[PatsFan2]

I remember Highsmith in his Houston days with Warren Moon Patriots have connections.

 

[Sect140]

Everyone is assuming a lot from the last name - Wolf.
He's not his dad, he hasn't won anything. He actually (along with all the staff they're adding) worked a lot with the Packers and Browns during a stretch when they were very average to bad.
Why do people make it seem like this is all better than BB's system that owned the NFL for 20 years.

Bill is no longer here so they have to do something. I think Wolf has worked his way up through the years and if they didn’t keep him someone else would’ve hired him. Now that doesn’t mean he will succeed but my choice would’ve been Wolf over Groh.

 

[ahmed]

At this point Groh must see the writing on the wall, similar to Steve Belichick. I think it's more typical to move front office guys after the draft, though, rather than before, like you do with coaches.

I never understood this. If you are going to let a personnel guy go, presumably they are not good enough. Then why are they kept for the most important part of the role?

 

[ahmed]

Bill is no longer here so they have to do something. I think Wolf has worked his way up through the years and if they didn’t keep him someone else would’ve hired him. Now that doesn’t mean he will succeed but my choice would’ve been Wolf over Groh.

Everyone seems to prefer Wolf; why?

 

[venecol]

Everyone seems to prefer Wolf; why?

Because he's not Groh.

 

[signbabybrady]

Because he's not Groh.

Everyone seems to dislike Groh except Wolf

 

[Sect140]

Everyone seems to prefer Wolf; why?

Good question. A few reasons for me are.

1. He group up with his dad in the personnel side of the house, Matt grew up with his dad as a coach.
2. I’ve seen interviews on Groh, to me he just doesn’t sound like someone confident in what he’s doing, what’s odd is I’ve never seen an interview on Wolf. Has anyone?
3. Also Wolf has been in other organizations and has seen different ways of doing things.

 

[mgteich]

Everyone seems to dislike Groh except Wolf

I'm OK with Groh as college coach if Wolf is.

Perhaps Groh has been giving good scouting advice that was ignore by Belichick, or maybe he was just giving bad advice.

 

[Zuma]

I never understood this. If you are going to let a personnel guy go, presumably their are not good enough. Then why are they kept for the most important part of the role?

Lots of scouts aren’t cut out for personnel gigs. It doesn’t mean he still can’t provide value scouting.

 

[Uptown]

 

[Hammer of Thor]

Lots of scouts aren’t cut out for personnel gigs. It doesn’t mean he still can’t provide value scouting.

Right. For example, Bobby Grier was the one who went on the intel trip to get info on Brady, even though Belichick was in charge at that point.

 

[venecol]

From Athletic article:

Patriots to add Highsmith as front office executive

Highsmith has been working as the general manager of football operations for the University of Miami since 2022.

theathletic.com

"Highsmith, a Hurricanes great, was a valuable resource for coach Mario Cristobal for the last two seasons as the program’s general manager of football operations. He spent a lot of time evaluating transfer prospects and working with Cristobal on administrative functions including the budget, culture building and working with staffers both on and off the field."

Miami has signed back-to-back top-10 recruiting classes and picked up former Washington State starting quarterback Cam Ward via the portal this offseason. Highsmith ultimately accomplished what he wanted in helping bring talent to his alma mater and helping Cristobal change the culture. — Manny Navarro, Miami beat writer

On the job, Highsmith was the main guy for the Canes when it came to evaluating prospects. Inside the program, according to UM sources, he was seen as a big asset because he had such a keen, trained eye. Coaches and personnel staffers leaned on him. Everything filtered up to Highsmith, but ultimately Cristobal was the final decision-maker on that front which is different than the NFL world. — Bruce Feldman, senior college football insider