Patriots Personnel Chief Hints At Big Change To Defensive Strategy

The New England Patriots will enter the 2022 NFL season with a different roster and a different coaching staff. According to the Patriots director of player personnel, the team will make a big change in the defensive strategy.

In his virtual news conference, Groh talked about the fact that the Patriots decided to adapt to the new situation in the NFL.

“It’s a different game than it was 20, 30, 40 years ago, and that player has also changed,” Groh explained. “There’s not as many of those big linebackers. They just — they don’t exist. Colleges want them smaller, and we’ve got to be able to adapt to the college game. You can’t just create these guys out of thin air. With all the positions, it’s what the college game provides us.

“We have to just take what they are going to give us from year to year. One year, there might be a couple high-level Sam linebackers, and other years, there might not be any. So if you’re looking at trying to play with that kind of player, you’ve got to figure out a way to get that player. Either you’re going to take him higher in the draft than maybe some other teams would, or you’ve got to go out in free agency and find that guy. It’s really just as simple as there aren’t a lot of those guys in college anymore, so you’re not going to see a lot of those guys in the NFL anymore.”

Patriots will change their strategy to adapt to the trend

Groh and Patriots coaches will change the approach for a reason. The team will try to get faster and more explosive. Head coach Bill Belichick wants his playmakers on the field.

The Patriots need a speedy defense. They need a speedy offense, too. Belichick needs speedy linebackers. Everyone has to get faster.

New England has Mac Jones and he will keep his starting role in 2022. DeVante Parker is part of the team now. Belichick will also enter the 2022 NFL Draft with one major need. Finding strong and speedy prospects.