Ahead of practice on Sunday, Patriots executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf met with the media for the first time this preseason.
This media availability comes after an eventful month for his front office, one that included the trade of veteran defensive end Matthew Judon, public trade talks with the 49ers for second-team All-Pro Brandon Aiyuk, and a joint practice with the Eagles that highlighted the weaknesses New England is facing on its offensive line.
With those weaknesses on full display throughout training camp, it only made sense to follow up on Wolf’s comments from April, where he told the media he believed the Patriots’ roster could support a rookie quarterback.
When asked on Sunday if he still felt that way despite obvious concerns on the offensive line, Wolf stood by his claim from earlier this year.
“Well, we’re concerned about every position,” said Wolf. “We’re always looking to improve and get things good. So whoever the quarterback is - I mean, it’s not like if Jacoby’s the quarterback we just wanna throw him to the wolves. So we’re excited about our offensive line group. We’re still looking to find the correct combination in there, and I think we have the pieces in place to be able to compete.”
He went on to say that he is confident that the team can support any quarterback with the pieces the team currently has in place.
“We feel confident in all these players [on the offensive line],” said Wolf. “And we’re just working to find the best group, rather than the best five individuals.”
When asked what his assessment was of the current free agent market, and if the Patriots would look for outside help to improve the offensive line, he did not fully close the door on looking to make a deal.
He didn’t swing the door open, either.
“Again, we’re pretty comfortable with our group right now,” said Wolf. “Obviously we’re going to look to upgrade on the offensive line, or at any position if we feel like we can. But, you know, I think we gave up one sack the other night. It was Philly’s [back-ups], but, you know, it was an improvement to the practice on Tuesday. So, again, we’re just looking to see how these guys respond to adverse situations.”
A position group Wolf was clear about having confidence in was the wide receivers, as he said their play over the last week led to the team ending their pursuit of Aiyuk.
He said, “It was sort of a situation where, you know, he’s still in San Francisco, and, you know, that hasn’t been worked out from their standpoint yet. But just felt, organizationally, you know, our young receivers had a really good week, and they’re continuing to progress. So we’re excited about those guys.”
When asked if the team had fully closed the door on a trade for Aiyuk, Wolf simply said, “Yes.”
The trade that did end up going down this month was that of Matthew Judon, who was moved to the Atlanta Falcons for a 2025 third round draft pick. Judon’s contract is set to expire at the end of this season, making him an unrestricted free agent.
“All these decisions are difficult,” said Wolf. “We have to weigh now, the future, what’s best for the team, what’s best for the player, and it was something that we just felt, organizationally and for Matthew, was probably the best for both parties.
“You know, teams had been calling to check-in. He had voiced a little bit of displeasure of his contract at different times. So whenever that happens, teams always check-in on players. And so, it was kind of something that came to fruition there at the end.”
Throughout this calendar year, the Patriots have signed numerous contract extensions with players from the defensive side of the ball, including defensive tackle Davon Godchaux, who had also been vocal during training camp about wanting a new deal.
When asked if Judon was never willing to find a middle ground with the Patriots to get a new deal done, Wolf was unwilling to go into specifics.
“You know, again, I told you guys in February, I’m not gonna get into any contract type stuff here,” said Wolf. “That’s between us and the player and the agent.”
As the preseason part of the NFL calendar comes to a close over the next few weeks, the Patriots have the third position on waiver claims. Wolf said this is a “good advantage” for the team, and said they will be “aggressive.”
“Our scouting department right now, all they’re doing is just grinding through the preseason film, watching players, talking to other teams, see who might become available,” said Wolf. “Having the third claim spot is a good advantage, and we’ll be aggressive, I think.”
The Patriots are back on the practice field on Monday, before an off-day on Tuesday.
Their next preseason game comes on Sunday night in primetime down in Washington as they take on the Commanders on NBC and Peacock.