An important week for the Patriots starts now.
The Patriots will embark for the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianpolis on Monday. The last month has been spent scrambling to replace head coach/general manager Bill Belichick, most of an offensive staff, their special teams coaches and a handful of defensive assistants. Now, the team, led by head coach Jerod Mayo and director of scouting Eliot Wolf, will focus on speaking to 2024 NFL Draft prospects and meeting with agents of impending free agents this week.
The combine officially starts on Monday, but Wolf will kick things off for the Patriots by speaking to reporters at a podium on Tuesday at 10 a.m. This is out of the norm for the Patriots. Belichick traditionally did not speak to reporters in recent years at the combine. The Patriots’ top personnel assistant, whether that was Nick Caserio, Matt Groh or someone else, would only speak to in-house media.
Mayo will not speak at a podium, since he just held a news conference on Wednesday, but he will be in attendance. As for the rest of the coaching staff, their attendance will be dependent on their duties and responsibilities, according to a source.
Of the Patriots’ 24 offensive, defensive and special teams coaches, 20 are new to the team or serving new roles.
The Patriots have not officially announced that Wolf is leading the team’s front office, but that is the case with Belichick gone. Wolf might not be named “general manager” of the Patriots, since Robert Kraft has typically avoided that label, but the former Packers and Browns executive has earned a new title to be announced later.
Senior personnel advisor Pat Stewart, director of player personnel Matt Groh, director of pro scouting Steve Cargile and director of college scouting Camren Williams are other key members of the Patriots’ front office. Some front office executives will be at the combine from Monday to Monday.
Defensive linemen and linebackers will arrive at the combine starting on Sunday. After registration, pre-exam and orientation, they’ll meet with teams on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday while also undergoing a general medical exam, pre-ordered studies, an ortho exam and an NFLPA meeting. They’ll meet with reporters on Wednesday before working out on Thursday and doing bench press and departing Indianapolis on Friday.
Defensive backs and tight ends will arrive on Monday and meet with teams Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, work out on Friday and bench press and leave on Saturday. Quarterbacks, running backs and wide receivers will meet with teams Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, work out on Saturday and bench press and leave on Sunday. Offensive linemen, kickers and punters will meet with teams on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday, work out on Sunday and bench press and leave on Monday.
A special focus should be placed on quarterbacks, wide receivers and offensive linemen, since those are potential targets with the Patriots’ first-round pick.
It’s important to talk to prospects and watch them in on-field workouts, but medical exams are also paramount to NFL teams’ responsibilities at the combine.
Teams are granted 45 formal 18-minute meetings with prospects. Players will also meet with teams off to the side in an “informal” setting. Between the college season, All-Star games, the combine, pro days and visits, every team will meet with every player at some point in the pre-draft process. The combine is a good setting for teams to talk to underclassmen who might not have been at a college All-Star game or available during the college season.
Nearly every NFL agent will be at the combine to support their draft prospects but also to meet with teams before free agency starts the week of March 11.
The Patriots’ top impending free agents are offensive lineman Mike Onwenu, safety Kyle Dugger, outside linebackers Josh Uche and Anfernee Jennings, wide receiver Kendrick Bourne, tight end Hunter Henry, defensive back Myles Bryant and linebacker Mack Wilson, among others. This is a good opportunity to touch base with those players’ agents in person to see if a deal can get done before players hit the open market. Onwenu and Dugger are franchise tag candidates. The Patriots have until March 5 at 4 p.m. ET to decide if they will use the tag.
Initial conversations will also be held with agents of outside free agents. The team’s top needs are at quarterback, wide receiver, tight end and offensive line.
Teams can officially begin negotiating deals with outside free agents on Monday March 11 at noon. The new league year begins March 13 at 4 p.m., when players can officially sign with new teams.