Clearly, there are a lot of changes taking place inside Gillette Stadium with personnel people leaving the organization and now some being elevated to new roles.
Appearing on The Ken and Curtis show on Saturday, Ben Volin of the Boston Globe offered a theory that Matt Patricia, who returned to the organization this offseason, could be the heir apparent to Bill Belichick.
“I was the first to report that Matt Patricia was the one who signed Cam Newton’s contract, well I have been able to get every contract that they have done this offseason — Jonnu Smith, Hunter Henry, Nelson Agholor, etc. [and] Patricia’s signature is on every single one of them," Volin said. "He is now the lead contract negotiator for the Patriots.”
So he's replaced Nick Caserio?
“In that sense," Volin said. "Now I did get some intel, I talked to a couple of team sources, a couple of people outside the league, it’s not unusual for other people who are not the GM or the total boss to be putting their signature on the contract. But, I think the Patriots and what they did, Nick Caserio did so much. I think they split up the responsibilities among several people. I think Dave Ziegler took the scouting responsibilities and Matt Patricia took a lot of the contractual responsibilities. So, it’s like not a big deal because look, it’s not in the sense that Patricia is not setting the course of free agency. Patricia is not the one saying, ‘We’ve got to get Hunter Henry. We’ve got to get Nelson Agholor.’ He is doing what Belichick tells him to do. And Belichick most likely gives him the perimeters.
"… It’s not a big deal because Patricia is not the ‘GM,’ but it is a big deal because the had to choose one person and they chose him. It does seem like they are broadening his skillset and it makes me wonder if they are setting him up to be the heir apparent to Belichick.”
The hosts clarified and Volin said heir apparent when it comes to head coach and general manager.