The New England Patriots have a lengthy to-do list for the upcoming offseason. While finding ways to bolster their roster, they must also reassess the front office and coaching staff after a rough start to the post-Bill Belichick era.
After hiring Jerod Mayo as Belichick's replacement, longtime team owner Robert Kraft named Eliot Wolf the de facto general manager. Alex Van Pelt was hired as offensive coordinator and DeMarcus Covington was promoted to defensive coordinator.
It's safe to assume each of those positions will be re-evaluated after the 2024 campaign, but what should be the organization's No. 1 priority when the offseason begins? Our Patriots insider Tom E. Curran shared his take on Tuesday's Early Edition.
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"(Sportico's) Mike McCann, our old friend, actually had a great suggestion. ... He said, basically they need a football overlord. I actually really agree with that," Curran said. "I think the Krafts should hire a football overlord because Wolf's new. Mayo's new. ...
"Somebody who will come in and be a hanging judge if he has to be and say, 'This isn't working.' Because everything else is a Band-Aid. If you go ahead and say, 'Let's get Alex (Van Pelt) out and bring in Josh McDaniels,' or 'Let's get DeMarcus Covington out and get Dom Capers.' I mean, you can't. Just get somebody over it so it's not the Krafts going, 'All right, you seem like you have a plan here, let's go with it.' Get a football person in there to say it."
Curran named former Patriots executive Scott Pioli and ex-Atlanta Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff as examples of "football overlords" who could help give the organization a sense of direction. Essentially, a "football overlord" is a veteran front-office leader who can advise the Krafts -- as well as Wolf if he remains with the organization -- on staffing and player personnel decisions.
Those decisions will be critical as the Patriots turn the page from a 2024 season filled with dysfunction. Prized first-round quarterback Drake Maye holds the key to the organization's long-term success, but that can only be unlocked with the right leadership in place.
New England will look to snap its four-game losing skid when it visits the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.
