Patriots must 'weaponize' offense, says scouting director

Improving the offense will be one of the New England Patriots' biggest priorities this offseason, according to director of scouting Eliot Wolf.

"We need to weaponize the offense," Wolf told reporters Tuesday at the NFL Scouting Combine, according to Alex Barth of 98.5 The Sports Hub.

Wolf, who has assumed a greater role in personnel decisions after Bill Belichick's departure, added that getting faster and more explosive on defense was another area of focus.

The Patriots hold the No. 3 pick in the 2024 draft and could be in a position to land a top quarterback prospect. However, Wolf didn't get into details when asked about the team's preferences.

"I'd say there's a lot of options on the table," Wolf said, according to Myles Simmons of ProFootballTalk. “I'm glad you asked about Mac (Jones) and Bailey (Zappe) - we're not going to be a program that's talking about these guys in terms of through the media."

New England's offense ranked 31st in scoring in 2023, averaging 13.9 points per game as Jones and Zappe struggled under center.

Jones made the Pro Bowl in his rookie campaign in 2021 but has regressed over the last two seasons with 24 touchdowns to 23 interceptions. Wolf says Jones has provided valuable lessons to the franchise.

"The main thing is just trying to do everything we can to support that person once they get in the building," Wolf said, per MassLive's Mark Daniels. "We’re going to make the best decision we can in terms of who that person is - if we decide to go quarterback at (No. 3)."

The Patriots will meet with top quarterback prospects Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, and Jayden Daniels at the NFL combine, Wolf added, per Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald.