FOXBORO -- The Patriots are about to embark on sweeping organizational change. That's unavoidable when you fire your head coach. But that tidal wave of change hasn't hit just yet.
According to a team source, the Patriots have made one alteration to their coaching and front-office staffs to this point, and that's firing Jerod Mayo.
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At this time, Alex Van Pelt remains as offensive coordinator and DeMarcus Covington remains as defensive coordinator. At this time, Eliot Wolf remains as executive vice president of player personnel and Matt Groh remains as director of player personnel.
That is not to say, however, that those roles are in any way guaranteed for 2025.
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On the coaching staff, for those under contract, they could be given the option to interview for their roles (or others) under the new head coach. In all likelihood, the next head coach will have new staffers in mind for most positions, and so ultimately major changes are expected to occur. Just not at this point.
On the front office side, the process could end up being a little more hazy.
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Our Tom E. Curran posted the following Monday morning on X: "Anticipate personnel department getting more time to right the ship and fix the roster."
The Patriots brought in a new system last January with Eliot Wolf taking on the lead role after serving as director of scouting under Bill Belichick. That system was obviously heavily influenced by Wolf's time in Green Bay -- and later in a Packers-inspired front office in Cleveland -- and featured a different way of grading players than the way in which Belichick operated for two decades as New England's football boss.
If there is reluctance from Robert Kraft to part with Wolf's system, he may encourage the next head coach to work with Wolf. But Kraft also would have to understand how arranged marriages between coaches and front-office heads usually work (or don't) in the NFL, and that may leave open the possibility of significant change on the personnel side of things.
In a compromise of sorts, perhaps there's a scenario in which Wolf stays on and keeps his title but would answer to a new general manager who would have a pre-existing relationship with the new head coach.
For example, if Mike Vrabel ultimately is hired as the new head coach, would he be willing to work with Wolf? Or would he prefer his own hand-picked front-office partner? Is there someone he could choose who would also have the ability to run Foxboro's version of the Packer Way to keep some consistency from 2024 to 2025, if that's what the Krafts are after?
Chiefs assistant general manager Mike Borgonzi, who overlapped with Vrabel in Kansas City, might fit that bill, as he worked previously under former Chiefs general manager and longtime Packers exec John Dorsey.
However these decisions shake out, significant overhaul to the football operation is imminent. But beyond relieving Jerod Mayo of his duties on Sunday, Robert Kraft hasn't kickstarted said overhaul in earnest just yet.
