PATRIOTS EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OF PLAYER PERSONNEL ELIOT WOLF
PRESS CONFERENCE
August 25, 2026
Q: Can you maybe just address first the Kayshon Boutte trade, the reasoning behind it, and what you have?
EW: Yeah. First of all, though, I just wanted to thank the players for another competitive training camp. It's exciting to get out there this season and build on what we had last year, show some progress. Mike [Vrabel] and his staff do a tremendous job creating a competitive environment, and we're just excited to take the next step this season. Regarding the Jaylen Reed trade, Jaylen was a guy that we identified in the draft process as someone that we might pick, and he ended up going before we could take him. We followed his career last year with Houston and thought it was pretty remarkable that, as a rookie who hadn't played much during the regular season, they trusted him enough to play the majority of the playoff games. We just continued to follow him, and when we determined that he might be available, he was someone that we wanted to acquire. We thank Kayshon [Boutte] for everything over the last three years that he was here. He showed tremendous growth and progress as a person and a player, and we're excited for him and his opportunity. But this was about the Patriots and doing what's best for our organization.
Q: How would you describe where things stand with Christian Gonzalez and the talks with his agent?
EW: Nothing new to report on Christian. We want him here. He's an elite player. I've been on record saying that before, and we're continuing to work with his representation to find a resolution that works for everyone.
Q: Do you view Week 1 as an internal deadline when it comes to his potential extension, or would you guys be open to continuing that throughout the season?
EW: We're just taking it a day at a time right now. We haven't a deadline.
Q: Is the Joey Porter [Jr.] situation a complicating factor in that at all?
EW: I'm probably not familiar with the Joey Porter situation.
Q: Joey Porter [Jr.] for the Steelers is also seeking a big contract. I know Devon Witherspoon was someone that people-
EW: Yeah, no, every situation is different. We're just focusing on our situation here.
Q: Do you have clarity, Eliot, on exactly what they're asking for and where the gaps are right now, or is it a work in progress?
EW: We're not going to get into any details in the negotiation right now. Just know that we're working, and we'll go from there.
Q: It's a yes or no question, though. I'm not asking you to tell me what the details are, but do you know where their stance is and where you guys are, so we can have a view on the outside as to what separation there is so we can pass that on to the fans?
EW: Yes.
Q: Are you confident that a deal will get done with Christian?
EW: I'm confident we're continuing to work on it, and we're positive that we're making momentum.
Q: I understand that there were seven receivers. Why did Kayshon have to be the odd man out?
EW: Kayshon, I wouldn't say he was the odd man out, I guess he was the odd man out. But there were some different conversations that we had with different teams throughout the league. Again, the opportunity to acquire Jaylen Reed for a player that Houston wanted is something that we decided to pull the trigger on. We feel really good about our receiver group. We have guys that can play in multiple positions. They all really complement each other well. Obviously, when we acquired Romeo [Doubs] and A.J. [Brown], something had to give because we have guys that can play in the slot, guys that can play Z, block and play special teams. So, there are just a lot of different elements, and we feel really good about the guys that we have in the room.
Q: Eliot, what did you make of Mike saying the other night that the roster was not very deep? He mentioned speaking to you about it, so I just wonder how that all went.
EW: Every season is different. We've had some injuries here over the course of the last couple of weeks that obviously thinned things out. We were pretty lucky —
knock on wood — last year with some of the injury things that we had. Every year is different, every position is different. We're deeper at some positions than we were last year, we're shallower at others. This time of year is a great opportunity for the scouts and for us to work the phones, talking about different trades. We obviously acquired a safety yesterday, which helped increase the depth in that room, and just have opportunities to make the roster deeper in the areas that we feel like we need to.
Q: Would you just say that the roster being thin is a result of poor drafts in the past, or is it a combination of things?
EW: I think it's probably a combination of things. Obviously, other than Drake [Maye], Marcellas [Dial Jr.], and Dell Pettus, the 2024 draft obviously didn't net the results that we were hoping for there. Those things all pile together and create situations where we're needing to upgrade from outside the building.
Q: Eliot, going back to the Kayshon trade, you mentioned wanting to draft Jaylen. You had drafted eight players before he came off the board, so I'm curious, what about the timing of this deal made this have to happen now, where Jaylen and the seventh-round pick was better than Kayshon, maybe even for a couple of months if you waited to deal him before the trade deadline?
EW: Again, we have a deep receiver room. I think that's really what it came down to. And as you look to the gameday roster, there are maybe some situations where the opportunities for certain players wouldn't be there, and we felt like this was the right time to do it.
Q: Was there any concern about helping out a conference rival, potential opponent, a team you played in the playoffs last year?
EW: No, there was no concern about that, and I don't think there was any concern for them to send us a safety that we think can play.
Q: Eliot, yesterday at practice we saw TreVeyon [Henderson] leave a little early after slipping. What level of concern is there that it's a situation that could be very serious?
EW: We're working through that situation now. He's probably not going to be out there at practice today, but we'll see how that goes.
Q: You mentioned A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs are in, Stefon Diggs and now Kayshon Boutte out. Last year you guys were number two in points, Drake Maye was runner-up for MVP. So, was it the playoffs that you decided that you guys needed an upgraded receiver? Where did you decide that you needed an upgrade there?
EW: It was kind of ongoing. We just felt like, again, in free agency, there are only so many young, talented players that are out there. So, Romeo was a guy that we identified early on in the process that we wanted to acquire, and we were able to. Then obviously when a talent like A.J. Brown becomes available, as long as we had to wait for that in the offseason and start those conversations when we started them, it was just an elite player that we're excited to be able to acquire. It's always about improving the roster. You asked the question about depth, some of the depth pieces, we have guys that are good enough to be on the 53, but we'll be looking to upgrade, and it's all about trying to get better each day.
Q: Eliot, with Christian, is there any concern at all that if he doesn't have a new contract for the season, you will get something less than the full version of Christian? Whether he's protecting himself or mentally he's just not fully there, is there any concern on the team's end that if he doesn't have a deal he might be a different type of player?
EW: No, he's a tremendous competitor. He wants to be the best at his position, so there's no concerns like that.
Q: Eliot, you said you are making momentum with those negotiations. What does that mean?
EW: Again, I'm not going to get into the negotiations here today. We are working with Christian's representative to try to get something done, and that's what we are doing.
Q: I was looking at the report before that Kayshon had requested a trade out. Did the timing of this trade -- you said it was the receiver room -- but did it also have to do with Kayshon possibly wanting to get out before the season started to be with a new team rather than waiting for the deadline?
EW: No, it didn't. Obviously, getting a player, for us getting Jaylen in now, he gets an opportunity to work with the defensive coaches. Safety's obviously a tough position to learn. He gets with the special teams coaches. He has played some PP [personal protector] in the past, so that's something that he can start to learn our cadence and our system there. The same probably goes true for Kayshon. But no, that didn't really factor in. Kayshon was very professional throughout the whole offseason and did a nice job for us, and he had a good camp as you guys all saw.
Q: You guys have dealt with a series of injuries with your backup offensive linemen. What is your level of concern with the group behind your starters right now?
EW: Well, we signed Greg Van Roten, which obviously showed some level of admittance of need for that position. Greg has started a lot of games in his career. I have some background with Greg. We signed Greg when I was in Green Bay in 2012. We signed him during training camp for the first time, and he ended up making the team, so that goes to show what kind of intelligence and ability that he has. I think he showed that again yesterday when he took two snaps at center, then two snaps at left guard, and two snaps at right guard in the same period, in his first practice with the team, really. So, we have some rookie tackles that we like, and James Hudson and some of these guys that are battling on the second team. So yeah, we're excited about the group, and if there's an opportunity to supplement that group then we'll take it.
Q: When it comes to Jaylen Reed's role in Year 1, do you see him as being primarily a special teamer or a depth player, or do you think he could maybe contribute in the slot or somewhere in the defensive backfield?
EW: Yeah, I mean, we'll have to see. That will kind of be up to him at this point, coming in, learning the system. He's supposed to be really smart, so we'll see if our reports on that are true. But talking to him this morning, he's really eager and excited to be here and has pledged to be more violent on special teams.
Q: Eliot, putting aside his knee injury, what have you taken from Christian being out there throughout camp practicing with his teammates?
EW: He's been great. He came back yesterday and looked like he hadn't missed a beat. He had some productive 1-on-1 reps, and then he was making plays in the red zone. So again, he's a competitor, he's talented, he's elite. And again, hopefully we can get something done there.
Q: Eliot, Robert Kraft said at the start of camp that you guys have offered to make Christian the highest paid corner ever. Is that still true a month later?
EW: Yes.
Q: Obviously, there's a lot of planning ahead when you look at a deal like the one potentially for Christian here. A year from now, Drake [Maye]will be eligible to sign a new contract. How much does planning for a new deal for Drake impact how you consider a new deal for Christian now?
EW: It's about a cash budget and things like that, so we're very aware of the timing of these things. We're cognizant of having a plan for that and working with Jonathan [Kraft] and Robert. Thankful for their support that they're open and willing for us to be able to sign these great players.
