Wolf has final say on the roster

[Huckleberry1]

Fired Mayo, kept Wolf, hired Vrabel, kept Wolf. Why Wolf? What makes him a special GM? You think he's good at his job? Would you hire him with his track record for the future? Fool me once, shame on me....fool me twice

His “ track record” is one year long, and any GM needs 3-4 years to turn a **** team around. I think Wolf was right not to spend big on last years free agent class, and that’s why they have $135 million to spend this year. I also think that he got them their franchise QB, which is the most important piece in building a true contender. And although his critics say that was a “ no brainer” many of them didn’t want Maye, and they would be burning him at the stake if Maye had sucked. So they give him no credit, but all the blame.

That said I didn’t like his comment yesterday that he has final say on personnel, and I don’t believe he’s right about that. There have been numerous reports that Vrabel has final say, and Vrabel reiterated that at his presser a couple of days ago. IMO if you have a good coach they should make all roster decisions.

 

[PatsFan2]

His “ track record” is one year long, and any GM needs 3-4 years to turn a **** team around. I think Wolf was right not to spend big on last years free agent class, and that’s why they have $135 million to spend this year. I also think that he got them their franchise QB, which is the most important piece in building a true contender. And although his critics say that was a “ no brainer” many of them didn’t want Maye, and they would be burning him at the stake if Maye had sucked. So they give him no credit, but all the blame.

That said I didn’t like his comment yesterday that he has final say on personnel, and I don’t believe he’s right about that. There have been numerous reports that Vrabel has final say, and Vrabel reiterated that at his presser a couple of days ago. IMO if you have a good coach they should make all roster decisions.

Some of us like myself felt J Daniels was the number one QB in the Draft last year. He sure played like it so there.

 

[Zuma]

Vrabel tells Wolf and Cowden “these are the types of players we want at DT in the draft”. Cowden and Wolf give Mike the players tapes. Mike watches the tapes on his own, puts players he likes in order and the 3 meet to discuss. Mike takes input from both but ultimately makes the final decision about where the players go on the board. If the player picked was one of Wolfies then he gets to say he picked the player but ultimately Mike makes the final decision.

 

[lancerman]

His “ track record” is one year long, and any GM needs 3-4 years to turn a **** team around. I think Wolf was right not to spend big on last years free agent class, and that’s why they have $135 million to spend this year. I also think that he got them their franchise QB, which is the most important piece in building a true contender. And although his critics say that was a “ no brainer” many of them didn’t want Maye, and they would be burning him at the stake if Maye had sucked. So they give him no credit, but all the blame.

That said I didn’t like his comment yesterday that he has final say on personnel, and I don’t believe he’s right about that. There have been numerous reports that Vrabel has final say, and Vrabel reiterated that at his presser a couple of days ago. IMO if you have a good coach they should make all roster decisions.

I agree with your first half about needing more than 1 year and last year being an issue with how light free agency was.... BUT

Andy Reid does not make roster decisions (every KC fan will tell you Veach is the guy). Pete Carroll does not make roster decisions (Schneider was the most lauded GM in the early 2010's). Sirrianni who won a Super Bowl this year does not make roster decisions and anybody who heard the name Howie Roseman knows that. Beane runs the show in Buffalo not McDermott. The 49'ers roster has been a John Lynch success story for years, not Shanahan. And if they can't get over the hump it will be Shanahan going out the door for not knowing how to make that work. Sean Payton was taking what Mickey Loomis gave him for years.

None of the "good coaches" are making the roster decisions. They might have influence, but every great team in the league has a rockstar GM who is the captain of the ship when it comes to team building. It just doesn't happen anymore. And frankly... every single guy I mentioned has far more of a pedigree to try to usurp their GM than Vrabel does. Vrabel famously DID NOT have roster control on the Titans, he has almost zero track record when it comes to team building.

This is one of the many examples of Bill Belichick being a unicorn for so long skewed how people perceive the way things work. The old "buying the groceries and making the meal" argument has been settled for 31 other teams a long time ago. The Patriots also very famously have an archaic front office in terms of amount of personnel involved in roster building. The last thing we need is to go to an even more archaic model and have the coach do double duty when he's never had that responsibility.

You really want Vrabel to go into free agency and win guys away from Lynch, Veach, Roseman, Beane, Schneider, Snead, etc..... okay have fun with that. You really want Vrabel who has never run a draft before to try to out evaluate guys with incredible track records, that have more experience, and have much larger teams for roster building... again have fun with that.

It's honestly mindboggling that people are that upset that in 2025 a HC won't have final say on the roster. No HC does. The smart ones don't even want it. It will just blow up in your face eventually.

 

[lancerman]

Some of us like myself felt J Daniels was the number one QB in the Draft last year. He sure played like it so there.

I was a Daniels fan, but we were not in position to get him, and with the two teams ahead of us going QB, that was never happening. Maye was a solid pick.

 

[borg]

Vrabel said that he expects the Patriots to be aggressive in free agency as they try to build a more potent roster

Executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf had his chance to meet the media on Wednesday and he sounded a little less excited about the prospect of throwing whatever it takes at a free agent target.
“I mean, we’re not gonna be frivolous,”

Eliot Wolf on Patriots free agency: We'll do what's necessary, won't be frivolous

One of the reasons why Mike Vrabel is the head coach of the Patriots in 2025 is because the team's 2024 offseason failed to turn up enough productive players and Vrabel signaled his desire to move things the other way earlier this week.

www.nbcsports.com

 

[Salsalife]

I agree with your first half about needing more than 1 year and last year being an issue with how light free agency was.... BUT

Andy Reid does not make roster decisions (every KC fan will tell you Veach is the guy). Pete Carroll does not make roster decisions (Schneider was the most lauded GM in the early 2010's). Sirrianni who won a Super Bowl this year does not make roster decisions and anybody who heard the name Howie Roseman knows that. Beane runs the show in Buffalo not McDermott. The 49'ers roster has been a John Lynch success story for years, not Shanahan. And if they can't get over the hump it will be Shanahan going out the door for not knowing how to make that work. Sean Payton was taking what Mickey Loomis gave him for years.

None of the "good coaches" are making the roster decisions. They might have influence, but every great team in the league has a rockstar GM who is the captain of the ship when it comes to team building. It just doesn't happen anymore. And frankly... every single guy I mentioned has far more of a pedigree to try to usurp their GM than Vrabel does. Vrabel famously DID NOT have roster control on the Titans, he has almost zero track record when it comes to team building.

This is one of the many examples of Bill Belichick being a unicorn for so long skewed how people perceive the way things work. The old "buying the groceries and making the meal" argument has been settled for 31 other teams a long time ago. The Patriots also very famously have an archaic front office in terms of amount of personnel involved in roster building. The last thing we need is to go to an even more archaic model and have the coach do double duty when he's never had that responsibility.

You really want Vrabel to go into free agency and win guys away from Lynch, Veach, Roseman, Beane, Schneider, Snead, etc..... okay have fun with that. You really want Vrabel who has never run a draft before to try to out evaluate guys with incredible track records, that have more experience, and have much larger teams for roster building... again have fun with that.

It's honestly mindboggling that people are that upset that in 2025 a HC won't have final say on the roster. No HC does. The smart ones don't even want it. It will just blow up in your face eventually.

Bill Belichick

Current position
1992–1995	Cleveland Browns (De facto GM)
2000–2023	New England Patriots (De facto GM

 

[Real fan 02]

As to our conversation yesterday
This is not what I wanted to hear
I still think Vrabel has more say but with a possible squeaky wheel in the room
I would be fine with banging stuff off each other and Vrabel having another voice(s) in the room
But I want Vrabel to have the final say

I feel like "contractually " wolf may have it.. however Vrabel isn't here for nothing. He's the guy and I trust Vrabels eye, cowden and Streicher to weaponize this team like wolf was supposed to.last off season.

 

[Triumph]

Feeling for Mayo now. It's like regime change happened but we kept the Iatohla kolmane. I remember smoking outside with the bosses son, get caught, I'm fired he stays on.... Mayo like dam, I listened to this Mofo and I get the boot and he keeps cashing checks...

Notice how the Mayo controversy has disappeared.

No more leaks. Thunder went full CYA mode and sent his team of high dollar Lawyers in. The NFL don't want it and Thunder certainly don't need it.

 

[lancerman]

Bill Belichick

Current position
1992–1995	Cleveland Browns (De facto GM)
2000–2023	New England Patriots (De facto GM

Belichick was my point. He was the last of a dying breed and in the end, even he ended up failing with a decade of bad drafts and a half decade of bad free agencies.

Like I said, Bill was the unicorn that is tricking Patriots fans into thinking that it's still a viable model. If it stopped working for Bill, it isn't going to work for modern coaches.

Vrabel, has zero experience or pedigree building a roster. He will be going up against guy who have years of experience, who have hugely successful models (that have been built and developed and tweaked over years and years) and track records that also manage bigger roster building staffs than what the Patriots have WHILE being asked to be a HC which is an incredibly hard job in its own right.

It would be pure insanity to make him the final authority on the roster. Let him focus on HC, let the GM focus on GM'ing. If the Wolf doesn't work, fire him and get another GM and let Vrabel be a key figure in the interview process.

But this idea that we should have a duel coach/gm died along time ago. Bill Belichick stopped being able to do it and none of the great coached today even WANT to do it.

 

[lancerman]

Notice how the Mayo controversy has disappeared.

No more leaks. Thunder went full CYA mode and sent his team of high dollar Lawyers in. The NFL don't want it and Thunder certainly don't need it.

Mayo got himself fired. Nobody expected much this year and if he was radio silent, he wouldn't have a press conference controversy each week

 

[Triumph]

His “ track record” is one year long, and any GM needs 3-4 years to turn a **** team around. I think Wolf was right not to spend big on last years free agent class, and that’s why they have $135 million to spend this year. I also think that he got them their franchise QB, which is the most important piece in building a true contender. And although his critics say that was a “ no brainer” many of them didn’t want Maye, and they would be burning him at the stake if Maye had sucked. So they give him no credit, but all the blame.

That said I didn’t like his comment yesterday that he has final say on personnel, and I don’t believe he’s right about that. There have been numerous reports that Vrabel has final say, and Vrabel reiterated that at his presser a couple of days ago. IMO if you have a good coach they should make all roster decisions.

Another FA period and draft like 2024 and Wolf will be manager at Dennys. Groh will be bussing tables.

90% of the people on this board could find a QB with the 3rd pick. It was clear that Caleb Williams had question marks and that proved spot on.

 

[Triumph]

Some of us like myself felt J Daniels was the number one QB in the Draft last year. He sure played like it so there.

Nix and Daniels made the post season.

Wolfie deserving some sort of praise for getting Maye right is just everyone gets a Trophy BS.

 

[Triumph]

Feeling for Mayo now. It's like regime change happened but we kept the Iatohla kolmane. I remember smoking outside with the bosses son, get caught, I'm fired he stays on.... Mayo like dam, I listened to this Mofo and I get the boot and he keeps cashing checks...

When hiring Mayo and promoting Glaser hit the iceberg they became expendable and the scapegoats.

Mayo was dealt a pile of 5hit.

 

[Salsalife]

Belichick was my point. He was the last of a dying breed and in the end, even he ended up failing with a decade of bad drafts and a half decade of bad free agencies.

Like I said, Bill was the unicorn that is tricking Patriots fans into thinking that it's still a viable model. If it stopped working for Bill, it isn't going to work for modern coaches.

Vrabel, has zero experience or pedigree building a roster. He will be going up against guy who have years of experience, who have hugely successful models (that have been built and developed and tweaked over years and years) and track records that also manage bigger roster building staffs than what the Patriots have WHILE being asked to be a HC which is an incredibly hard job in its own right.

It would be pure insanity to make him the final authority on the roster. Let him focus on HC, let the GM focus on GM'ing. If the Wolf doesn't work, fire him and get another GM and let Vrabel be a key figure in the interview process.

But this idea that we should have a duel coach/gm died along time ago. Bill Belichick stopped being able to do it and none of the great coached today even WANT to do it.

You don't have to have a gm.

• Scott Pioli: Vice President of Player Personnel. He was really good. I would like wolf to get this title. Final say is not what I wanna hear from Wolf, would rather hear from Vrabel that he has final say before we get into April. Ask Parcell about wording.

 

[lancerman]

You don't have to have a gm.

• Scott Pioli: Vice President of Player Personnel. He was really good. I would like wolf to get this title. Final say is not what I wanna hear from Wolf, would rather hear from Vrabel that he has final say before we get into April.

Whatever you want to call the position. The person who is building 32 out of 32 NFL rosters is not the same guy who has the HC title. And for many years it was 31 out of 32 with us being the exception because we had

1. The GOAT coach
2. The oldest coach from an era where that still worked THAT ALSO still wanted it (IE Reid and Carroll both had that responsibility once and decided a long time ago it was a bad idea to still have it)

Wolf is the defacto GM at this point regardless of title. If you don't think he's doing a good job, that's fine. Find another GM, but we shouldn't turn back the clock and saddle a new HC with all that. It's just a bad idea and it amazes me that it's even remotely a controversy that the HC isn't the final say on roster building. That's just not a real thing anymore.

 

[Wozzy]

I think Wolf had a two year contract and the Krafts don't want to give away free money.

Elliot is like a player who has already been paid... no point in cutting him, so put him to work.

Wolf was obviously Jonathan's guy, he's been making personnel calls since 2021 when collaboration began.

 

[p8ryts]

If Wolf tries to speck up, Vrabel will crush him. Wolf just looks wimpy. I apologize, I just can't help it every time I see him, I think, "he's running our team?" UGH.

 

[203Pat]

Karen Guregian confirming what most of us already suspected.

 

[Huckleberry1]

I agree with your first half about needing more than 1 year and last year being an issue with how light free agency was.... BUT

Andy Reid does not make roster decisions (every KC fan will tell you Veach is the guy). Pete Carroll does not make roster decisions (Schneider was the most lauded GM in the early 2010's). Sirrianni who won a Super Bowl this year does not make roster decisions and anybody who heard the name Howie Roseman knows that. Beane runs the show in Buffalo not McDermott. The 49'ers roster has been a John Lynch success story for years, not Shanahan. And if they can't get over the hump it will be Shanahan going out the door for not knowing how to make that work. Sean Payton was taking what Mickey Loomis gave him for years.

None of the "good coaches" are making the roster decisions. They might have influence, but every great team in the league has a rockstar GM who is the captain of the ship when it comes to team building. It just doesn't happen anymore. And frankly... every single guy I mentioned has far more of a pedigree to try to usurp their GM than Vrabel does. Vrabel famously DID NOT have roster control on the Titans, he has almost zero track record when it comes to team building.

This is one of the many examples of Bill Belichick being a unicorn for so long skewed how people perceive the way things work. The old "buying the groceries and making the meal" argument has been settled for 31 other teams a long time ago. The Patriots also very famously have an archaic front office in terms of amount of personnel involved in roster building. The last thing we need is to go to an even more archaic model and have the coach do double duty when he's never had that responsibility.

You really want Vrabel to go into free agency and win guys away from Lynch, Veach, Roseman, Beane, Schneider, Snead, etc..... okay have fun with that. You really want Vrabel who has never run a draft before to try to out evaluate guys with incredible track records, that have more experience, and have much larger teams for roster building... again have fun with that.

It's honestly mindboggling that people are that upset that in 2025 a HC won't have final say on the roster. No HC does. The smart ones don't even want it. It will just blow up in your face eventually.

That’s a strong argument, and if Mayo was still the coach I would buy into it because I never got any sense at all of what kind of team Mayo wanted to build. Vrabel however is a different story imo, because from the moment they hired him it was clear that he was going to try to build a team that would dominate both lines of scrimmage and be as nasty as possible. And while I believe all of them will be on the same page in that regard I want him to have the final say on the players they bring in.