Matt Groh is in his first year as the Patriots director of personnel, and he may already be helping to shift the team’s strategy when it comes to pursuing star receivers.
In his press availability Friday, Groh, who joined the Patriots as a scouting assistant in 2011, acknowledged how aggressively teams are now pursuing impact receivers. He made it sound like the Patriots aren’t opposed to following suit, despite Bill Belichick’s track record of being more conservative when it comes to acquiring talent at the position.
“I think it was easy to say at a certain point, maybe, in free agency, ‘OK, well, it looks like a lot of these teams are just gonna wait to get a player in the draft, and get a much cheaper [receiver],’” Groh said Friday, via Mike Reiss. “And then, all of a sudden, you saw some of these really big contracts — whether it was Day 2, Day 3, Day 4 — for these wide receivers. And then trades for these wide receivers. Wherever teams can add an instant-impact player, which is what these wide receivers are in the game today, they’re gonna do it.”
The Raiders and Dolphins took advantage of those opportunities to acquire Davante Adams and Tyreek Hill, trading first round picks for the two playmakers, and subsequently signing them to nine-figure extensions.
Groh said the Patriots recognize the importance of acting swiftly.
“You can’t just sit around and wait and hope to get one of these guys in the draft. You gotta be proactive about going to get one of them,” he said.
The Patriots made their big move at receiver earlier this month when they dealt a 2023 third-round pick to the Dolphins for DeVante Parker, who became expendable following the Hill trade. Groh credited Matt Patricia for initiating the conversations.
New England has also been proactive about working out receivers prior to the NFL Draft, including two of Mac Jones’ former targets, Jameson Williams and John Metchie. The Patriots pick at No. 21 overall.
While they could go wideout in the first round, Groh made it sound like the Patriots are willing to bring aboard a big name veteran, if one becomes available. Remember: the Patriots acquired Randy Moss on draft weekend in 2007.
Perhaps we will see a redux this year.
