Eliot Wolf's pre-draft press conference 4/13

mike_usagisan · 2026-04-15T09:49:33-0400

Steve102 said:
I 100% think its lack of coaching vision. The only pick they couldn't screw up was #3 because it was a no brainer; take whichever of the 3 QBs is left.

I think we might need to better define what coach's vision means. If it means how a player fits in his system, that shouldn't have stopped Wolf from getting two guards who could just play guard, even if it wasn't in Vrabel's system.

If we mean the positional coaches' insights on how to play those positions at all, then yes, it was completely lack of coaching vision in that sense. But that does raise the question of how good the scouts are if they can't find players without the positional coaches' input.

Steve102 · 2026-04-15T10:00:16-0400

mike_usagisan said:
I think we might need to better define what coach's vision means. If it means how a player fits in his system, that shouldn't have stopped Wolf from getting two guards who could just play guard, even if it wasn't in Vrabel's system.

If we mean the positional coaches' insights on how to play those positions at all, then yes, it was completely lack of coaching vision in that sense. But that does raise the question of how good the scouts are if they can't find players without the positional coaches' input.

I think we have to look at what the previous 20 years were... Belichick's vision and Belichick's alone. Some of that was good and some of it, especially late in the run, was bad. Then you take Belichick out of the equation on January 11th and replace him with an empty suit. Everyone has to figure it out thru free agency and the draft in very short order, while Mayo is just happy to be here. I don't think you can over estimate how bad it was with a first year staff and a GM who had very little input for the last, what, 5 years? I think there was a vacuum there that Kraft saw after the fact and fixed swiftly.

rkarp1 · 2026-04-15T10:27:11-0400

Steve102 said:
I think we have to look at what the previous 20 years were... Belichick's vision and Belichick's alone. Some of that was good and some of it, especially late in the run, was bad. Then you take Belichick out of the equation on January 11th and replace him with an empty suit. Everyone has to figure it out thru free agency and the draft in very short order, while Mayo is just happy to be here. I don't think you can over estimate how bad it was with a first year staff and a GM who had very little input for the last, what, 5 years? I think there was a vacuum there that Kraft saw after the fact and fixed swiftly.

I agree with you 1000%, and have said so from day 1 post Bill.
most fail to at least acknowledge resigning Onwenu, Henry, Jennings, Bourne, Andrews. Bringing in Gibson, Hooper, Hawkins. Extending Barmore, Stevenson.
mostly everyone listed had a role in getting to a SB this season

mike_usagisan · 2026-04-15T10:28:25-0400

Steve102 said:
I think we have to look at what the previous 20 years were... Belichick's vision and Belichick's alone. Some of that was good and some of it, especially late in the run, was bad. Then you take Belichick out of the equation on January 11th and replace him with an empty suit. Everyone has to figure it out thru free agency and the draft in very short order, while Mayo is just happy to be here. I don't think you can over estimate how bad it was with a first year staff and a GM who had very little input for the last, what, 5 years? I think there was a vacuum there that Kraft saw after the fact and fixed swiftly.

Yes, but the argument from the scouting department was that the scouts were doing all this great work and Bill was going off script and picking his own players. The first year without Bill, with the scouts finally allowed to be on script and pick the best players as they saw them resulted in two WRs who can't play, a guard-maybe-left-tackle who can't play either guard or tackle, and a guard who can't play guard. I could have seen players like Dugger or whatever, who were capable players who no longer fit in our system. But these are guys who just can't play in any system.

That said, I am fully, 100% on board with Wolf as a valuable part of the leadership, as the organized admin nerd who makes it all work together for Vrabel.

mike_usagisan · 2026-04-15T10:49:03-0400

rkarp1 said:
I agree with you 1000%, and have said so from day 1 post Bill.
most fail to at least acknowledge resigning Onwenu, Henry, Jennings, Bourne, Andrews. Bringing in Gibson, Hooper, Hawkins. Extending Barmore, Stevenson.
mostly everyone listed had a role in getting to a SB this season

I think it's because we're talking about Wolf's pre-draft press conference and most of the discussion has been about the draft and the drafting process.

That said, you're absolutely right that their free agency decisions in 2024 were much better. I loved the Gibson signing, as well as resigning the vets. They didn't all work out, with Dugger being an obvious one, but it left us with some capable vets when Vrabel and company came in and completely remade the rest of the roster.

rkarp1 · 2026-04-15T11:04:39-0400

mike_usagisan said:
I think it's because we're talking about Wolf's pre-draft press conference and most of the discussion has been about the draft and the drafting process.

That said, you're absolutely right that their free agency decisions in 2024 were much better. I loved the Gibson signing, as well as resigning the vets. They didn't all work out, with Dugger being an obvious one, but it left us with some capable vets when Vrabel and company came in and completely remade the rest of the roster.

my comments are mostly directed at the posters who believe Wolf is a coffee carrier, when in fact has has done a great job.

Clonamery · 2026-04-15T11:05:50-0400

rkarp1 said:
my comments are mostly directed at the posters who believe Wolf is a coffee carrier, when in fact has has done a great job.

Ludicrous. C+

rkarp1 · 2026-04-15T11:36:32-0400

Clonamery said:
Ludicrous. C+

2 years on the job with out Bill's interference, and1 year with Mayo at the helm
one SB appearance in those 2 years, with what, 50%+ roster turnover over the 2 years?
how is that not an "A"

Wozzy · 2026-04-15T11:58:39-0400

rkarp1 said:
2 years on the job with out Bill's interference, and1 year with Mayo at the helm
one SB appearance in those 2 years, with what, 50%+ roster turnover over the 2 years?
how is that not an "A"

He was part of collaboration since 2021, was a big reason they took Mac Jones. Was part of every draft class and free agent signing. The 2024 off-season team build was a disaster.

Vrabel and Cowden arrive and the 2025 team build was a masterclass. If your entire position is based on BB resentment then yeah, Wolf is a genius. If we base it off actual results Vrabel and Cowden are the reason for the season.

rkarp1 · 2026-04-15T12:14:43-0400

Wozzy said:
He was part of collaboration since 2021, was a big reason they took Mac Jones. Was part of every draft class and free agent signing. The 2024 off-season team build was a disaster.

Vrabel and Cowden arrive and the 2025 team build was a masterclass. If your entire position is based on BB resentment then yeah, Wolf is a genius. If we base it off actual results Vrabel and Cowden are the reason for the season.

spoken like a true Bill apologist
there was a 2 year roster turnover, that started before Vrabel arrived

I can't dispute that Vrabel's vision and direction are the engine. but from there, Wolf and team take over
We have zero understanding of what Cowden's role is, or has been
publicly, he is invisible, and Vrabel/Wolf are the faces of the franchise

ps: Mac Jones took the team to the playoffs

Clonamery · 2026-04-15T12:18:08-0400

rkarp1 said:
2 years on the job with out Bill's interference, and1 year with Mayo at the helm
one SB appearance in those 2 years, with what, 50%+ roster turnover over the 2 years?
how is that not an "A"

With what he did with the 2024 Draft, I think him being above average is fair.

Grogan14 · 2026-04-15T12:19:39-0400

Clonamery said:
Ludicrous. C+

Nepo hire

mike_usagisan · 2026-04-15T12:33:55-0400

On the recent Pats Chat podcast, the Boston Herald's Doug Kyed discussed how Wolf was kinda-pissed at Kyed for misrepresenting Wolf's take that this is a bad draft coming up. Wolf did say that but with the caveat that the Pats should be able to find good players with every one of their picks. So I thought that was interesting.

Huckleberry1 · 2026-04-15T12:38:49-0400

Hugepatsfan said:
People on this board have a weird obsession with Wolf. People keep making up fake conversations to turn him into some kind of corporate ****. It’s very, very odd.

There is a deep seated hatred of Wolf on this board.

Huckleberry1 · 2026-04-15T12:39:53-0400

Steve102 said:
I 100% think its lack of coaching vision. The only pick they couldn't screw up was #3 because it was a no brainer; take whichever of the 3 QBs is left.

There were many on this board who didn't want Maye. I know, I argued endlessly with them about the pick.

Steve102 · 2026-04-15T12:54:55-0400

Huckleberry1 said:
There were many on this board who didn't want Maye. I know, I argued endlessly with them about the pick.

I remember. TAKE THE TACKLE! TRADE BACK!

rkarp1 · 2026-04-15T12:57:09-0400

Grogan14 said:
Nepo hire

who is he related to?

mike_usagisan · 2026-04-15T12:57:22-0400

Huckleberry1 said:
There were many on this board who didn't want Maye. I know, I argued endlessly with them about the pick.

On that Pats Chat episode, they talked about how some people wanted to firm up the line with Joe Alt and take the QB later. And how if they had, the pickings on QBs in the last three drafts have been pretty bad since after Maye was picked.

Wozzy · 2026-04-15T12:59:20-0400

rkarp1 said:
spoken like a true Bill apologist
there was a 2 year roster turnover, that started before Vrabel arrived

2024 was a disaster team build, Bill was coaching North Carolina.

But I'm a BB apologist... you're not a BB hater.

rkarp1 said:
I can't dispute that Vrabel's vision and direction are the engine. but from there, Wolf and team take over
We have zero understanding of what Cowden's role is, or has been
publicly, he is invisible, and Vrabel/Wolf are the faces of the franchise

Wolf on his own signed and drafted terrible athletes.

Any GM worth a damn can distinguish good from bad. Who is coaching or "system" is irrelevant.

rkarp1 said:
ps: Mac Jones took the team to the playoffs

Mac sucks.

n1997y · 2026-04-15T13:21:03-0400

Huckleberry1 said:
There is a deep seated hatred of Wolf on this board.

it seems there is a deep seated hatred of everybody by some on this board.

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Eliot Wolf's pre-draft press conference 4/13

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