NFL Notebook: Giardi - Questions about Patriots' chain of command

Is the Patriots' GM job — executive vice president of player personnel is the actual title — desirable? I've been asked about it, and it's been debated in other media sectors. The short answer is yes if, in fact, Eliot Wolf gets the gig (by all accounts and through my reporting, that is the expectation) and gets the authority (not sure that will be the case) that should come with it.

But where are Robert Kraft and his son Jonathan in all of this? We can all agree that letting Wolf be the final decision maker in free agency and in the draft without officially having the job is ass backward, no? The last quote-unquote GM to be displaced post-draft was Mike McCagnan by the New York Jets in 2019. In no way, shape, or form do you ever want your ownership group compared to that of Woody Johnson's, yet on this front, here we are.

The Pats knew, for a couple of months, that Bill Belichick was a dead man walking. They also knew that a number of jobs - including having the last word - would need to be filled. Was their plan all along to test drive Wolf, as some have suggested, and decide if what he did over the last few months was enough? Because were that the case, how would you truly know? It isn't as if he added franchise-changing pieces in free agency, and while I agree with the decision to pick Drake Maye, how that plays out remains to be seen, and that could be the case for a couple of years (as with the entire draft). So what, then?

Or are those reports of testing Wolf a complete load of bullcrap, and he was the chosen - and cheaper - one, and this is just the Krafts sidestepping the Rooney Rule for a second time (let's be honest - hiring Mayo may have checked the diversity box, but the team didn't go about it in the true spirit of the rule)? Multiple diverse candidates (three as of last count) had rejected the interview offer, including Cincinnati senior executive Trey Brown. Brown is an interesting case study because he started his NFL career as a scout with the Pats in 2010 and worked here for two seasons before moving on. With Duke Tobin entrenched as the Bengals' GM, wouldn't it make sense for Brown to formally speak with the Pats? Of course, it would, but not if he thinks it's a dog and pony show (which, again, I believe it is).

In talking to league sources, there is some consternation about the Pats' approach, calling the rationale about there being too much to turn over after the Belichick firing as flimsy.

"They already knew Mayo was the coach, so they didn't have to go through that process," said one team exec. "So tell me, why is there any logic in waiting until now? There isn't, and I don't blame guys for passing. Don't waste my time. It's a joke."

The counter is that getting a seat with ownership is never a bad idea. Who knows what could happen in a year or three? Or perhaps the Pats are trying to lure another right-hand man for Wolf? Maybe that's another reason why Brown and others say thanks but no thanks.

"I don't know where the league is on this," said one team executive. "Don't have the rule if you're not going to enforce it or have gaping holes in it."

But that's been the entirety of this offseason and, I would argue, how the 2023-24 campaign went: a lack of transparency early (when did Belichick know Mayo was his successor?) and a lot of BS later.

The way ownership has handled the tail end of Belichick's run and the transition of power — we've yet to hear from Jonathan — raises concern about how involved the big bosses are, even if they — and others for them — have insisted they are not. Wolf insisted he had the final say, but based on the declared title of the job, that would be a direct violation of the Rooney Rule. Or, the Krafts (Jonathan) pulled the strings on draft day.

There is no question that football people everywhere have to answer to their team's owners - especially on big-ticket items - but the idea of Robert and Jonathan exercising more control because they wanted to get their football team back is a dangerous game, one that very few - if any - owners have been able to pull off successfully (Jerry and Steven Jones, maybe). Certainly, it's something to keep an eye on and an ear to the ground as this organization moves forward.

STAR BURNING OUT?

There's being proactive about keeping your stars, and then there's whatever the hell the Cowboys are doing. Dak Prescott is just months away from wheeling into training camp in the final year of his deal. Not that he's won big when it's mattered most, but Prescott has been the face of the franchise and remains one of the 10 best quarterbacks in the league. 

Multiple reports indicate that extension talks have been virtually non-existent. You'd have thought Dallas would have been aggressive about getting a new deal done, especially considering Prescott's $55 million cap hit. Instead, the Cowboys had to sit out free agency while their chief division rival, the Eagles, were active, adding Saquon Barkley and Bryce Huff while re-upping A.J. Brown and Devonta Smith, among others.

Dallas is so handcuffed that it's also been unable to work with Ceedee Lamb on a new contract. However, they at least can franchise tag him after the 2024-25 season, something they can't do with Prescott because they gave up that right during his last contract negotiation (along with giving him a no-trade clause).

"These things happen over time, and when they do happen, they happen fast," owner Steven Jones told Mad Dog Sports Radio this week. "They take time when you think about the resources for a quarterback. They just take time."

Prescott holds all the cards and could push for a fully guaranteed contract in Dallas or, if he hits free agency, one that exceeds what Deshaun Watson extorted from Cleveland. Either way, it will be a fascinating story to follow and one that will be closely monitored by teams that still don't have an answer at QB (Vegas, for instance)

NOW OR NEVER

Much attention was paid to the Bills' offseason and the number of players jettisoned either via release or trade. But the Dolphins have had themselves an odd couple of months as well. They lost Christian Wilkins, Robert Hunt, Jerome Baker, Xavien Howard, Andrew Van Ginkel, Brandon Jones, and Raekwon Davis (among others). In fact, their cap management was so poor they couldn't even franchise Wilkins or make him an enticing offer to stay. Generally, players of Wilkins' caliber don't make it to the open market, but all the money invested in Tyreek Hill, Terron Armstead, Bradley Chubb, and Jalen Ramsey, plus a possible Tua Tagovailoa mega-deal, put the Fins in a funny place.

Yet, instead of doing what the Bills did, which is take their medicine, Miami GM Chris Grier went out and signed a bunch of players to one and two-year deals to do what, exactly? Make a run at a Super Bowl? That's where I'm at after reviewing the signings of the likes of Jordan Poyer, Teair Tart, Jordan Fuller, Shaquil Barrett, Jonnu Smith, and, just this week, Odell Beckham Jr. Why am I there? Because there is no way the core of this team - the stars mentioned in the previous paragraph - will be together beyond this year. Tua's extension, which will likely go north of $50 million, plus the likelihood of Jaylen Waddle getting a new deal down the road, will force Grier to make some hard decisions. Hill is 30 and has a $56 million cap hit in 2026 (vs $11.3 million in dead cap). Ramsey will turn 30 during the season. Armstead contemplated retirement. Change is coming, so it's now or never for this roster as currently constituted. And if I were a betting man, I'd bet it doesn't end well. This team is built for September and October, not December, January, and February.

STICKY RICE

The Chiefs traded up and drafted Xavier Worthy in the first round of the NFL Draft, and at first blush, it seemed as if GM Brett Veach wanted to give Patrick Mahomes more weapons even after winning back-to-back Super Bowls. 

While there may be some truth to that, Worthy's selection also acts as insurance for troubled wideout Rashee Rice. Rice had a solid first season for KC but has been a mess off the field since, first fleeing from the scene of a six-car accident in Dallas; now, he's being investigated for an alleged assault at a Dallas nightclub. As of the writing of this column, no charges had been filed in that case, but Rice is facing one count of aggravated assault, one count of collision involving serious bodily injury, and six counts of collision involving injury from the aforementioned car crash.

There's been recent pushback on anonymous sources questioning a player's character in the NFL Draft (see Indy GM Chris Ballard's passionate defense of Adonai Mitchell), but The Kansas City Star reports that teams were warned of Rice's off-field behavior a year ago, and at least one team had him completely off their draft board.