Patriots have made major change in post-Bill Belichick era

The New England Patriots appear to have made a significant change to the way they prepare for the draft now that Bill Belichick is no longer running the show.

In addition to being the head coach in New England for more than two decades, Belichick also operated as the team’s de-facto general manager. He had final say over roster decisions, and ownership took pride in running the business side of things without getting directly involved with football operations.

It appears that organizational structure no longer exists in New England. Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported on Monday that the Patriots are fielding calls from teams that have interest in acquiring the No. 3 overall pick in the NFL Draft. While director of scouting and new GM Eliot Wolf is said to be “running point,” Russini says team president Jonathan Kraft has been “heavily involved in the decision making.”