TRANSCRIPT: Eliot Wolf Interview with Kay Adams 5/28
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Here’s what New England Patriots Executive Vice President of Player Personnel Eliot Wolf had to say during his appearance this week on Up and Adams with Kay Adams:
KA: Thanks for being here. Congratulations on the promotion.
EW: “Yeah, thank you very much. It’s been an exciting spring for coach [Jerod] Mayo and myself and the staff, and we’re excited to get rolling.”
KA: And it’s been 20 years. It’s not like it just happened over a couple of months there. 20 years since you started your NFL journey. When I say that to you, if I were to give you sort of like a Polaroid camera and say, take a snapshot of your most proud moment or day or pick. Green Bay, Cleveland, Boston. What, are you putting in a frame?
EW: “Yeah, I would say, you know, winning the Super Bowl with the Packers in 2010 is number one. Number two would be, you know, having the opportunity to present my dad in the Hall of Fame, which was 2015, I believe. And then, you know, the Krafts and coach Mayo and everyone giving me the opportunity here with the Patriots to try to turn this thing around and get us going in the right direction.”
KA: And I can’t wait to see what that moment is for you over the next 20 something years in the NFL there in New England. Of course, you look good in the blue. It’s a good fit for you. I want to ask about your dad, the legend, Ron Wolfe. You bring him up, you get to be part of his hall of fame induction. That’s so beautiful. What’s one thing, one really specific thing that you learned from your dad that you used in this draft where you’re the guy, the boss, calling the shots in a really high-pressure situation?
EW: “Yeah. I would just say trust in what you see and believing in what you see and picking really good football players, not getting caught up in the hype, and just kind of doing the right thing for the team at all times. I mean, those are pretty simple things that he’s taught me. A lot of other people along the way have taught me those things as well, and just try to stick with that this year, as we move through the draft.”
KA: You know, that polo is looking suspiciously like the nineties Patriots blue. Are you foreshadowing something? Are we throwing back this year?
EW: “It might just be the lighting right now, I’m not sure. It’s kind of the normal color.”
KA: I would love that. I want to talk a little bit about Green Bay. Of course, a few years after your dad, we’re talking about your dad. But you get to Green Bay, you spend 14 seasons there under Ted Thompson, and you’re there learning, absorbing. They run things a little bit differently. How would you say that that experience formed or shaped your philosophy when approaching this new team and this Patriots roster?
EW: “Yeah, that’s a good question. So I would say a couple things. Number one, growing up in the system in Green Bay was kind of my dad’s system. I never worked for my dad, but that was the system that was in place there and then kind of moving to another sort of, not to say opposite system, but a lot of different things in New England. And being able to just kind of take and shape our new system, moving forward with the best aspects of both of those schemes and systems is something that I think will be really advantageous to us.”
What’s the biggest difference from going from the packers unique ownership situation to having an owner like RKK?
EW: “Well, yeah, that’s a good question, too. So no owner in Green Bay. It was really just kind of all football. And then I went to Cleveland for two years with Mr. Haslam and then moving over to New England with Mr. Kraft and Jonathan. It’s been really good, really, all three of those situations, while different, they all want what’s best for the team. They all want to win. And so they’ve been nothing but supportive of us through free agency and the draft. And it’s been really exciting.”
KA: Year four for you in New England. You’ve been around Jerod Mayo, who’s been so close to that team this entire time. I love him. Could not have been more excited when he got the gig, was lobbying for him, saying whatever I could. And it’s really exciting to have this new page and this page turn, and there’s continuity, which I think was really important, too with Mr. Kraft. What’s your relationship like? If you were to describe the dynamic, what does that sound like?
EW: “I mean, it’s been too good to be true so far. And he and I have joked, like, obviously this is the honeymoon phase. We haven’t really dealt with any adversity. We haven’t lost any games. But as we move forward, we know those conversations, those hard conversations that come up. I think there’s a huge level of mutual respect between us, and I feel like we’ll be able to navigate those things as they come.”
KA: Well, the big thing is when does Drake Maye start? So let’s just put this as a, let’s, you know, let’s sit in the group therapy session. You’re here. It’s you and it’s Mr. Mayo, coach, who makes the decision on when he gets out there?
EW: “I think those will be some important conversations for us to have. Right now, it’s Jacoby Brissett. He’s taken the first reps, and we’re excited about what he’s shown not only off the field but also on the field with his throwing ability. And then Drake Maye, let’s be honest, we’ve had him for three weeks now. There’s a long way to go for all of our rookies and all of our players as we adapt to this new scheme that coach [Alex] Van Pelt is implementing offensively. And so we’ll have those conversations as they arise. I’m sure it’s going to be a collaborative approach as it’s been so far with, with really all the big decisions that we’ve made, and, you know, they’re all four of the quarterbacks we have on the roster right now are working hard and ready to go.”
KA: Honeymoon phase. I loved hearing that from you, Elliot. That’s great. What is your philosophy on developing a quarterback? Your own, you know, we’ve seen it in New England, we’ve seen Aaron Rodgers. We can talk about that a little bit. But when it comes to developing a quarterback, what is the Eliot Wolf philosophy?
EW: “Yeah, I wouldn’t say there’s a specific Eliot Wolf philosophy. I think every person and player is different. So I think you have to be true to what you’re seeing and listen to the coaches and really understand who’s ready, who’s not ready. And again, like I said, in this particular situation, Drake’s been with us for about three weeks. And so we’ll kind of see how it goes here. You know, maybe he’ll be ready, maybe he won’t.”
KA: I’m so curious, just because you were there with Mac Jones in the way that it went, whether it was, however it was handled, how, you know, developing a quarterback is such a sensitive thing, how much has that situation influenced how this group is going to help with these decisions? Like the Mac Jones experiment?
EW: “Yeah, I would say, you know, again, every situation is different. The main thing that we’ve been able to take away is just being able to support not only Drake, but every quarterback we have, just throw every level of support that we possibly can at the quarterbacks. And those are things that, you know, whether it’s coaching, whether it’s something off the field, whether it’s virtual reality, whatever the case may be, just really having the willingness to support whoever the quarterback is in every facet that we possibly can.”
KA: Yeah, and coach Mayo said that OC Alex Van Pelt is the lead guy in Drake’s development. I’ve heard great things about him. You were a part of bringing him to New England. You spent six years with him in Green Bay when he was Aaron Rodgers quarterback coach. So what is it about this guy that people need to know, rivals need to know, your own fan base needs to know that gets the best out of whoever, like you’re saying the quarterback might be?
I would say, and again, this is something that’s important to myself and Jarod as well. And that’s why, you know, including Van Pelt and DeMarcus Covington, our defense coordinator, Jeremy Springer, our special teams coordinator, all of us really care about developing people and care about being good teammates, and that’s really one thing that coach Van Pelt has brought with him from Cleveland and some of his other stops. You know, the very first, you know, again, it’s voluntary during OTAs, but the very first meeting they had offensively, it was really just the ‘Who are you?’ session. Like, get to know everybody in the room, get to know everybody, what they’re about, what’s their ‘why,’ and, you know, him being able to develop those relationships with the players and obviously his vast offensive knowledge from all the stops that he’s had, those are some things that are going to mesh well and really try to get the best out of the players that we have.
KA: Elliott, you’ve had some great defenses. I’m thinking about the 2010 packers number two ranked defense, Charles Woodson, Clay Matthews, two years in Cleveland, you mentioned with the Haslams, but also with Miles Garrett, who’s terrifying, you know, good defenses. I’ve talked a lot about your defense this offseason because it’s completely slept on. Like egregiously, irresponsibly slept on. This team had injuries, Judon and Gonzalez last year, two absolute stars. When they’re out there, how does this group stack up to other defenses you’ve been around in your career?
EW: “Yeah, I would just say I think one of the most impressive things about our defense last year was the fact that they never quit. I mean, our offense was very notably struggling, struggled to put up points, and the defense just came out every week, and they were absolute warriors, taking on the run, taking on the pass, and even mentally with losing some of our better players throughout the season. They just kind of showed up every week and did their thing. We had some guys really step up into bigger roles, and I’m really excited for what the future holds. My one regret so far from this offseason, particularly with the draft, is, you know, we only, we had eight draft picks. We only drafted one defensive player. And so I apologize to coach Covington about that. But, you know, obviously he wanted what’s best for the team, too. So that really, that’s one regret that I’ve had so far. But we’ll see how it goes. We feel good about the guys we do have in here.”
KA: I love that. I feel like a lot of fans after free agency were like, you know, and obviously the Jerod Mayo comment, which is so eloquently addressed head on, like, shouldn’t have said that, rookie. Whatever. When you, when New England fans say, like, why didn’t you spend the money? What is, is it because it’s, it’s sort of like the Ted Thompson-y sort of the draft is the foundation that we then build on. What would you say to fans who are like, why didn’t we spend money?
EW: “Well, I mean, first of all, I would argue that we did spend money. We signed what we felt was the best offensive tackle in free agency and the best tight end in free agency. They just so happen to be guys that we retain. So, you know, we gave Kyle Duggar a contract extension. We added pieces at almost every level of the team. I think we signed a player at every position, every position group except for linebacker. So I think what you said about draft and develop, that’s what we’re going to be. That’s what we strive to be. That’s where the core and the foundation is going to be. And some of our deals that we did in free agency were extending players that we drafted and developed previously. So I think that’s the key. We were in on a lot of players. Ultimately, at the end of the day, we just felt like they either, you know, it just didn’t make sense financially. And, you know, free agency is a hit-or-miss business. We were hit or miss in 2021. We have a few guys that are still here and a few that didn’t work out when we spent all that money. So, you know, again, every situation is different and we feel like we did what was best for the team.”
KA: And I love a Kyle Duggar. I love a Lenore Ryan vibe. He sent me a bunch of sweatshirts one time. Big, big fan of him. Speaking of college, this is really random, but it, is there any chance I can get a story out of you from, like, the two thousands Miami vibe as you were a student assistant, I believe, there. And I’m looking at the list of dudes you scouted, right? These are the national champs. Ed Reed, Sean Taylor, those guys. Like, what was that like?
EW:”Yeah, I would say my favorite story from that is, so Ed Reed was the best player on the team in 2001, or in my opinion. I mean, he was a free safety, and he was just taking the game over. And that’s not to say something lightly. That doesn’t sound so crazy now, but I think there were, like, six or seven first-round picks on that team. And I remember I was a recruiting volunteer, so I wasn’t really too involved with much other than, like, stuffing envelopes back when people did envelopes, but, you know, so we’d be blowing people out, and they would take Ed Reed out, and they’d put this true freshman in there. And the true freshman, his backup was Sean Taylor. And Sean Taylor wasn’t, like, a big-time recruit. I think he was mostly a running back in high school. And I remember telling some of the Packer scouts who I had relationships with at the time, some of the Packer scouts, like, yeah, Ed Reed’s the best player on this team, but there might be a guy that is a true freshman that’s better than him. And nobody believed me. It was the whole, like, oh, the next guy’s always better thing. But you’d watch the game, and it would be unbelievable. And then obviously, you know, I would say that was a unique time. And those are two of the best football players that I’ve ever seen, and one happened to be backing up the other for a year, which is crazy.”
Packers passed on that read in that draft, I think.
EW:”I think so. I was in college, though, so you can’t put that one on me.”
KA: Javon Walker, I believe, was the pick, but Ed Reed and Sean Taylor, may he rest in peace. Unbelievable. That is a wild story, and I love that last one for you. Listen, you’re in New England. You’re going to face Aaron Rodgers twice. I love this for you. Division rival, your second year in Green Bay was that insane 2005 draft. Unforgettable moment. Can’t write the history of NFL drafts without it. What do you remember? Like, what you were thinking that night as Roger slid?
EW: “Yeah, I remember going into the office that week, and Ted Thompson, our GM, he always watched film in the draft room, and there were certain times where you knew he was, like, deep in thought and didn’t really want to be bothered. So I remember. I think it was like, this is back when the draft was Saturday, Sunday. I think it was either the Thursday or Friday before the draft. There started to be these rumors that if Aaron Rodgers didn’t go one to San Francisco, that he might actually slide. And if you looked at all the teams like, it was kind of an interesting year because a lot of the teams didn’t need quarterbacks at the time. So I remember walking in the draft room a couple times to put up a different magnet or whatever, and he was in there and he was watching Aaron Rodgers for like, I don’t know, maybe I’m exaggerating, it was like six or 7 hours he was in there, and I remember thinking like, oh, he’s still in here watching. Like, if he slides, we’re going to be drafting this guy. And sure enough, it happened. And, you know, it was an interesting time. I remember they kept showing him. His hair was all gelled up. He was awkward.”
He was so mad.
EW: “He was super mad. And really, I have a lot of respect for Aaron, and obviously he’s a Hall of Fame player, but just seeing that fueling him, even after it didn’t need to fuel him. Talking to him after he’d won the Super Bowl, he was still talking about. He was still talking about his draft day slide and how that was something that he used for motivation. It’s pretty cool to see a relentless competitor like that use [that].”
KA: Yeah, I mean, Tom Brady did it, too. You’re trying to rebuild the next page of that legacy up there in New England. You get to face Aaron Rodgers twice this year. I mean, I hope there’s a little extra something. You’re speaking very highly of him, but now he’s a jet. Elliot, get with the program. You got to hate Aaron Ross.
EW:”We got a little something for him.”
KA: With that defense. Last one for you, the toughest one. Is this a playoff team?
EW: “Are the patriots playoff team? Listen, we’re not really playoffs or bust. I would say we’re just looking for progress. Jerod has a saying. It’s process, progress, payoff. And that’s really something that we’re striving towards. We have a lot of good players on our team. We have a lot of things that didn’t go right for whatever reason, the last couple years, but we have a lot of good players on our team, and we’re hopeful that we’re headed in the right direction.”
KA: Process, progress, payoff. Love it. Congrats on everything so far. Writing your legacy the next 20 years. 20 years in the NFL making these decisions. And thank you for sharing the stories. It’s amazing.
EW: “All right, thanks a lot, Kay.”
KA: Nice to meet you. Enjoy – I don’t even know – No offseason. No offseason for you. Did you watch the roast, Eliot?
EW: “I did not watch the roast.”
KA: That’s a lie. Really?
EW: “Yeah.”
KA: Good for you.
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