The Replacements: GM Candidates to Replace Bill Belichick with Patriots Ties

One day after Bill Belichick and the Patriots ‘parted ways‘ Jerod Mayo was hired as the franchise’s new head coach. But that is just one of two vacancies the Patriots need to fill to replace Belichick. The other is the role of General Manager, which may be more daunting and arguably more important given the team’s many needs and 2024 draft position (number.3 overall.)

Owner Robert Kraft seems to be a fan of familiarity and continuity. As such, here is a list of some of the top names that could come in to run the Patriots personnel department.

Eliot Wolf: Patriots Patriots director of scouting

Wolf would be considered the top in house option. He joined the front office in 2020 as a consultant and was elevated to the team’s director of scouting in 2022.

The 41 year old Wolf is the son of former Packers Hall of Fame executive Ron Wolf. If given the job Wolf would effectively leap Matt Groh who was the director of player personnel reporting directly to Belichick.

Matt Groh: Patriots director of player personnel

I mean, I guess? He has served as Belichick’s No. 2 man the past two years as the director of player personnel. He has been with the organization for 13 years. Groh is considered a Belichick loyalist. It would not be surprising to see Groh follow Belichick in some capacity should the former Patriots coach land elsewhere.

Dave Ziegler: Former Raiders GM

The former Patriots executive Ziegler was fired alongside Josh McDaniels after less than two seasons with the Las Vegas Raiders.

Ziegler worked for the Patriots in several capacities since 2013, eventually ascending to the top personnel job before bolting for Vegas in 2022. Of all the outside names with Patriots ties Ziegler is the most recent and the one who held the most prominent position within the organization before departing.

Trey Brown: Bengals senior personnel executive

Brown, like Jerod Mayo is young, only 38 and reportedly has strong ties to the new Patriots head coach.

Brown began his career in New England as a scouting assistant in 2010. After leaving New England Brown worked for the Eagles. The last two seasons he has been with the Bengals, most recently as their senior personnel executive.

Mike Borgonzi: Chiefs assistant GM

Borgonzi has strong local ties. He is from Everett, Massachusetts and attended Brown University and worked as a recruiting director for two seasons at Boston College. He has spent 15 years in Kansas City.

Jon Robinson: Former Titans GM

The 47-year-old Robinson spent the 7 seasons as the GM in Tennessee before being fired in 2022.

Robinson started his NFL career in New England as a scout in 2022 and worked his way up to the front office before leaving in 2013 for a position in Tampa Bay and ultimately Tennessee.

Bob Quinn: Former Lions GM

Quinn is a former GM who ran the Lions from 2016-2020. He has spent the last few years in Cleveland in a consulting role. Quinn was part of the front office when Belichick first started in New England in 2000.