Forged in Foxboro: episode 1

[Real fan 02]

I doubt at this level a guy says to himself "I better look busy, I'm on camera".

Oh I agree.. that was just an assumption.. as the team knows everything is documented would be used for the forged in Foxboro series. Another good watch is bill on the pivot podcast. Excellent interview bill gave.

 

[Real fan 02]

I agree that Wolf may have been acting as a "company man". That would also explain why he was retained, not fired, after the abysmal 2024 FA and draft results.

I also agree that "reportedly" Wolf's strength is player evaluation. I repeat "reportedly". Groh and Wolf have been front and center in the draft process for the last 4 or 5 years. The 2025 draft was dramatically different than the last 4 or 5 drafts (the 2023 draft was actually quite good). We have to assume the the 2025 draft was a departure from the previous 4 or 5 drafts due to the talent evaluation introduced by Cowden and/or Streicher (we don't know who was responsible for the dramatic positive shift but assume it was Cowden). We know, due to reporting, that Groh's role shifted to contract legal drafting after Glaser was let go (Groh is a lawyer). And as I noted to @Huckleberry1, it appears as Wolf is quite good at coordinating, taking notes, and talking on the phone which I refer to as executive assistant functions. If we break the football GM role into roles of 1. Executive assistant and 2. Talent evaluator, Wolf is good at #1 and sucks at #2.

In conclusion, I do not value the "executive assistant" GM role, I value the "talent evaluation" GM role. But it appears as though the Pats will keep Wolf as a "collaboration coordinator" and Groh to handle contract legal stuff. That is not a decision I would make, but I understand they are "company men". But after the dramatic positive shift in the player evaluations this year, let's drop the pretense that Wolf's strength is talent evaluation, and get on our knees and pray that Cowden and Streicher are here to stay for a long time.

Excellent points.. as usual One. To add if you get the chance to catch Bill on his most recent podcast on the pivot.. Bill explained that it was caserio and others on his staff that assumed the GM duties while he coached as he said it's impossible for 1 person to do everything. Same applies to now. Cowden, wolf, streicher, Groh, highsmith I believe handle the contracts, ect. Of course with Vrabel highly involved.

 

[mayoclinic]

Fun video, but a lot of it football porn.

I would love more info on players the Pats scouted who they didn't pick. No team gets everyone they like. Who were they disappointed to miss out on, who did they pass on, and why.

The team was apparently turn between Jonah Savaiinaea and TreVeyon Henderson at 38, but still liked Henderson enough to turn down 58, 79 and a 2026 3rd round pick. I would have loved more of that kind of stuff:

- Did they seriously consider Jalon Walker at 4?
- How did they stack the 1st round OTs?
- Were they disappointed when Donovan Jackson came off the board?

Would love to know what their board looked like.

 

[Real fan 02]

Oh I agree.. that was just an assumption.. as the team knows everything is documented would be used for the forged in Foxboro series. Another good watch is bill on the pivot podcast. Excellent interview bill gave.

@signbabybrady

I really took a hard look at everything. Our Coaching, roster and schedule. I'd also urge you to check out diggs YouTube documentary on his recovery and him signing the guys on a mission and that's what we want on this team a hungry diggs.

I have us winning between 10-13 games. I just don't see any Vrabel coached team getting dominated.. i just don't. Of course we'll have some plays there and there but the coaching feel more like prime BB than the Jerod rust error we suffered through.

 

[Real fan 02]

Oh I agree.. that was just an assumption.. as the team knows everything is documented would be used for the forged in Foxboro series. Another good watch is bill on the pivot podcast. Excellent interview bill gave.

@signbabybrady

 

[signbabybrady]

@signbabybrady

Share this with JT

 

[Real fan 02]

Share this with JT

JT??

 

[Real fan 02]

Share this with JT

Lol.. oh yeah tatum.. lol.

 

[signbabybrady]

@signbabybrady

He's already talking like he's healed. He's not missing training camp

 

[Real fan 02]

He's already talking like he's healed. He's not missing training camp

Agreed. Diggs has really impressed me as a leader and a guy who knows ball. He's a dawg.. Vrabel and Josh are the perfect guys to pair with him.. Joe Brady and McDermott don't strike me as the type of coaches who really understand diggs passion to win.

 

[Huckleberry1]

I agree that Wolf may have been acting as a "company man". That would also explain why he was retained, not fired, after the abysmal 2024 FA and draft results.

I also agree that "reportedly" Wolf's strength is player evaluation. I repeat "reportedly". Groh and Wolf have been front and center in the draft process for the last 4 or 5 years. The 2025 draft was dramatically different than the last 4 or 5 drafts (the 2023 draft was actually quite good). We have to assume the the 2025 draft was a departure from the previous 4 or 5 drafts due to the talent evaluation introduced by Cowden and/or Streicher (we don't know who was responsible for the dramatic positive shift but assume it was Cowden). We know, due to reporting, that Groh's role shifted to contract legal drafting after Glaser was let go (Groh is a lawyer). And as I noted to @Huckleberry1, it appears as Wolf is quite good at coordinating, taking notes, and talking on the phone which I refer to as executive assistant functions. If we break the football GM role into roles of 1. Executive assistant and 2. Talent evaluator, Wolf is good at #1 and sucks at #2.

In conclusion, I do not value the "executive assistant" GM role, I value the "talent evaluation" GM role. But it appears as though the Pats will keep Wolf as a "collaboration coordinator" and Groh to handle contract legal stuff. That is not a decision I would make, but I understand they are "company men". But after the dramatic positive shift in the player evaluations this year, let's drop the pretense that Wolf's strength is talent evaluation, and get on our knees and pray that Cowden and Streicher are here to stay for a long time.

Except by all accounts it’s Wolf’s Grading system, which means he evaluated the talent. The difference in my opinion is that Vrabel clearly delineated the types of players he wants and those types of players were prioritized, whereas as Mayo had no clue what he wanted, and Belichick simply ignored everyone other than his dog and took whomever he wanted. However your bias against Wolf is already so clear that you are never going to be able to accept any recognition of him as anything other than what you call a “ secretary.”

 

[Huckleberry1]

The Pats were really fortunate that their desired guys were there when they wanted to pick. That isn’t always the case with every draft, but sometimes it is better to be lucky than good.

Not to diminish their draft because they conducted a master class this year.

They seemed to take a calculated risk by trading down twice and still getting Wilson, and traded up at the start of the DT run to get their guy.

We can only hope they are as successful next year.

I think that’s where Wolf’s role was strongest, in knowing how the overall draft board was going to fall, and whether they had to stay put, like with the Henderson and Williams picks, or if they could trade down and still get their guy, like the Wilson pick, and taking Woodson and waiting on Farmer. And the most encouraging thing to me overall is that Vrabel, Wolf, Cowden, and Streicher only had a few months together, and given a full year to prepare for the next offseason they should be able to put together another excellent offseason next year that should make them a true contender for Lombardi’s. Although Maye’s development will be the key piece to contending long term.

 

[Huckleberry1]

Don’t forget the change in the scouting system implemented by Wolf last year, post-draft, for this cycle. That said, happy to see Cowden and Streicher with the Pats.

He’s not forgetting this, there’s simply no evidence you can provide to him that will get him to accept that. Cowden made it clear in his press conference that Wolf and the scouts had been working on this draft for 18 months, which is consistent with Belichick’s description of the draft process in War Room /Holley, and Vrabel’s guys, Cowden and Streicher had only been there a few months. Wolf played a big role in this offseason, but it wouldn’t have been anywhere near as successful if Mayo had still been in place. Vrabel came in with a clear picture of the kinds of players he was looking for to build the team he wanted to build, and together they were able to put together a great free agency and draft because of that clarity. Vrabel gets the final credit because it’s his vision and decision making that guided it, but Wolf, Cowden, and Streicher played significant roles.

 

[PatsfaninTx]

Anyone know when Part 2 airs?

 

[mikey m]

Wolf is on record as having final say, but imo the reality is that he generally defers to Vrabel, but I just finished the first “ Forged” episode and Wolf was much more in the middle of every draft pick than I expected, and he appeared to be the person most in charge of their draft, which really surprised me.

Agree, I thought Wolf showed well. Then again, everyone did as the media team gets to put the edits in. My one gripe is how Wolf and co talked about evaluating trade offers during the picks. The discussion seemed solely focused on value of the picks being traded, but no talk about the actual players on the board. They can't show everything so maybe more nuanced discussion was cut out here, but still, that's how you miss out on a Ladd McConkey and settle for a Jalynn Polk.

 

[Clonamery]

Agree, I thought Wolf showed well. Then again, everyone did as the media team gets to put the edits in. My one gripe is how Wolf and co talked about evaluating trade offers during the picks. The discussion seemed solely focused on value of the picks being traded, but no talk about the actual players on the board. They can't show everything so maybe more nuanced discussion was cut out here, but still, that's how you miss out on a Ladd McConkey and settle for a Jalynn Polk.

They're showing what they want to show. It's a marketing piece. Take it with a grain of wolf.

 

[Real fan 02]

He’s not forgetting this, there’s simply no evidence you can provide to him that will get him to accept that. Cowden made it clear in his press conference that Wolf and the scouts had been working on this draft for 18 months, which is consistent with Belichick’s description of the draft process in War Room /Holley, and Vrabel’s guys, Cowden and Streicher had only been there a few months. Wolf played a big role in this offseason, but it wouldn’t have been anywhere near as successful if Mayo had still been in place. Vrabel came in with a clear picture of the kinds of players he was looking for to build the team he wanted to build, and together they were able to put together a great free agency and draft because of that clarity. Vrabel gets the final credit because it’s his vision and decision making that guided it, but Wolf, Cowden, and Streicher played significant roles.

Cam Williams is under the radar big loss here. Guy was integral for the scouting department i have always had big respect for NFL scouts those guys do all the grind work.. for an organization.. and they are the least paid.

 

[Real fan 02]

Anyone know when Part 2 airs?

Next Friday I believe...

 

[Huckleberry1]

Agree, I thought Wolf showed well. Then again, everyone did as the media team gets to put the edits in. My one gripe is how Wolf and co talked about evaluating trade offers during the picks. The discussion seemed solely focused on value of the picks being traded, but no talk about the actual players on the board. They can't show everything so maybe more nuanced discussion was cut out here, but still, that's how you miss out on a Ladd McConkey and settle for a Jalynn Polk.

I thought the same thing, but I think that what we didn’t see was them discussing whether or not their guy would still be there if they traded down. However when it came to Henderson and Williams they rejected trade offers because they wanted the player so much, whereas with Wilson it seemed like they were confident he would make it to 95. But watching the draft live I felt like they were taking more chances than I would have liked, but it seems like they knew what they were doing the whole time. As you said editing probably made things look better, but they were also probably trying to hide as much of their decision making process as possible, while still giving us a look at what went on.

 

[The Gr8est]

Cam Williams is under the radar big loss here. Guy was integral for the scouting department i have always had big respect for NFL scouts those guys do all the grind work.. for an organization.. and they are the least paid.

Alonzo Highsmith’s son is taking over the Cam Williams role.

Let’s hope he is up to the task, but his resume looks good.

Report: Broncos Add Former Patriots Exec to Front Office

The ex-longtime New England executive is coming to the Mile High City.

www.si.com

Patriots hire Alonzo Highsmith's son in key personnel role: Report

A.J. Highsmith is following his father to New England to take the Patriots' director of pro scouting job, per a report.

www.nbcsportsboston.com