The first press conference for Patriots Director of Scouting Eliot Wolf was held on Tuesday down in Indianapolis as Wolf addressed a variety of topics, with the plans at quarterback obviously being a key talking point.
Wolf was asked about what they’re specifically looking for in that position, and his answers were certainly interesting.
“We’re pretty early in the process here,” said Wolf. “I haven’t met any of these guys, Jerod [Mayo] hasn’t met any of these guys. As we continue through the process here, we’ll determine what’s best for the team.”
“One thing about the quarterbacks in this draft specifically that I’m excited about is they all look like they’re really tough guys, which is obviously great at any position but the quarterback position especially.”
In addition to toughness, Wolf also added that they’re looking for someone who can pick up the team and lead, which he believes is an underrated attribute.
“First of all, being someone that can elevate his teammates, someone that your teammates want to play for,” said Wolf, explaining the attributes he values the most in quarterbacks. “I think that’s an extremely underrated thing that people don’t really talk about that much. Leadership’s important and obviously physical talent, we wouldn’t be talking about these guys if they weren’t physically talented.”
Wolf was also asked about body language on the field, and he believes that having a guy who can keep his cool from that standpoint when things get difficult is important.
“Body language on the field is very important at that position,” said Wolf. “You don’t want a guy that’s throwing his hands up after a bad play, or you can see him physically pointing at somebody. Body language is important. Everybody’s looking to the quarterback.”
The above is certainly an interesting comment, especially as it pertains to Mac Jones. Jones was obviously demonstrative under former offensive coordinator Matt Patricia in 2022, with the former Alabama standout spending moments in 2023 hanging his head and getting frustrated during what turned out to be a disastrous third season here in New England.
As far as what the future holds for Jones and Bailey Zappe, it’s tough to say. Wolf wouldn’t rule anything out on Tuesday, but he admitted that everything will be explored as the club navigates through what is definitely going to be a critical offseason.
“I’d say there’s a lot of options on the table,” said Wolf. “I’m glad you asked about Mac and Bailey. We’re not going to be a program that’s talking about these guys in terms of through the media. We’re going to do what’s best for the team behind the scenes, and the strategy of that is going to be myself, Jerod Mayo, Matt Groh and we’re going to try to do the right thing for the team.”
(The above appeared in a recent Patriots Notebook column that appeared on February 27, 2024)
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Ian Logue is a Seacoast native and owner and senior writer for PatsFans.com, an independent media site covering the New England Patriots and has been running this site in one form or another since 1997.
