Eliot Wolf: Patriots ‘doing what’s essential’ to enhance

INDIANAPOLIS — Eliot Wolf and the New England Patriots are gearing up to make the roster good enough to use the No. 4 pick on the best player available.

A big part of his recruiting pitch to free agents centers around quarterback Drake Maye, selected third overall in 2024.

“It’s a more attractive destination than it was last year,” Wolf said Wednesday at the NFL Scouting Combine.

Wolf said “ultimately, it’s my final say” on roster decisions but repeated head coach Mike Vrabel’s position that they’ll work together to make major decisions to fill out the roster.

Maye will be at the center of the attempted turnaround. He went to the Pro Bowl as a rookie with 15 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

Wolf listed running back and defensive line as two of the positions he believes are strongest in the upcoming draft, indicating it might be “meatier” in the middle rounds at positions like offensive tackle and wide receiver.

Connecting the dots, considering Vrabel and Wolf stressed getting better on the offensive line, they likely are to be in the mix for top free agent blockers.

The Patriots allowed 52 sacks last season; Maye was sacked 34 times.

“The game is always won on the line, and that was before the Super Bowl,” Wolf said, noting he felt responsible for every hit Jacoby Brissett and Maye took. “We took some swings. Taking swings ultimately isn’t good enough. We went 4-13. We have to have results. We need to continue to improve the roster.”

Vrabel and Wolf said the Patriots are planning to spend responsibly and get more out of their assets. Wolf said he was accountable for decisions that didn’t pan out building the roster in 2024.

“It’s about doing what’s necessary. Just didn’t get enough done,” Wolf said. “The free agency class didn’t live up to expectations. The draft class, it’s too early to tell, but certainly we expected more out of some of those guys.”

–Jeff Reynolds, Field Level Media