NFL Expert Suggests New England Patriots Hire New General Manager

If and when the New England Patriots move on from Bill Belichick, they will likely also have to find a new general manager.

With each loss, it seems to be more about when, not if, the New England Patriots decide to move on from coach and de facto general manager Bill Belichick. A recent report suggests that the ending of a 24-year relationship could come as soon as Monday if the Patriots fall to 2-8 on the season with a loss to the Indianapolis Colts in Germany on Sunday.

However, whether team owner Robert Kraft decides to move on soon or wait until the season's end, it seems increasingly likely that the Patriots will not only be looking for a coach but also a general manager. That is if Kraft decides against giving his next coach the same say in player personnel that he gave Belichick in 2000.

With names like Tennessee Titans coach Mike Vrabel and Patriots linebackers coach Jerod Mayo already being floated as candidates to replace Belichick on the sidelines, there are still questions about who'd fill his void behind the scenes. That is until ESPN's Mike Reiss floated a name in a recent interview.

"I'll just throw this name out ... There's a guy in San Francisco, right? That's a good program. His name is Adam Peters," Reiss said during an interview on 98.5 The Sports Hub's Zolak & Bertrand Show. "He actually came up through here [in New England]. Do you talk to someone like that and say, 'Hey, if we were to build this thing in your vision, who do you envision yourself -- who would you bring with you to be your head coach?'"

August 19, 2017; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch (left) and vice president of player personnel Adam Peters (right) before the game against the Denver Broncos at Levi's Stadium. The Broncos defeated the 49ers 33-14.  / Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Peters, as Reiss notes, spent the first six years of his career in New England (2003-08), working within the scouting department, before moving to the Denver Broncos in 2009, per his biography on the 49ers' team website.

In Denver, Peters worked up the ranks from being a regional scout to being named the director of college scouting. Then, with the Niners, Peters started as the vice president of player personnel, a title he held for four seasons before being promoted to assistant general manager, working directly with John Lynch.

If the Patriots don't want their next coach holding both positions like Belichick has, it will be the first time the franchise has hired someone with the official title of general manager since 1983, when they gave Pat Sullivan the job. 

Peters would bring the obvious advantage of having first-hand experience working within the Patriots organization and seeing up close how the dynasty was built. However, for those who are wary of sticking to the same formula that has gotten the Patriots to this point, Peters also has experience elsewhere.

---