Bill Belichick: Matt Patricia has been heavily involved in Patriots’ pre-draft process

[Roary]

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When Matt Patricia was fired as head coach of the Lions and hired by the Patriots, he did not get the title of defensive coordinator, which had been his previous job in New England. That led to questions about what, exactly, Patricia would do for the Patriots.

One thing he’s doing is helping the Patriots prepare for the NFL draft.

Patriots coach Bill Belichick told reporters today that Patricia has been among the most important people on the staff in accumulating information about draft prospects.

“We’ve accumulated a lot of information,” Belichick said. “Matt has rejoined us and been heavily involved in the process.”

Patricia has previously worked only on the coaching side, not the personnel side, but under Belichick the Patriots have not had the strong dividing line between coaching and personnel that some teams have. Patricia has also been involved in free agent signings, and Belichick seems to believe personnel is where Patricia can provide the most value to the Patriots.