Patriots fill vacant area scouting position with former New Hampshire linebacker Matt Evans

With the NFL Draft firmly in the rear-view mirror, the New England Patriots continue to shake up their player personnel department. The latest move, as first reported by Neil Stratton, will see the club bring in veteran college scout Matt Evans from the Washington Football Team.

Evans spent the last eight seasons in Washington. Originally joining the team as a player personnel assistant during the 2014 offseason, he started his career assisting with advance scouting of the team’s opponents, evaluating free agents and writing draft reports. In 2015, Evans transitioned into an area scouting role — a gig he has held ever since.

Between 2015 and 2018 he was responsible for the northeast region, before spending the last three years scouting the southeast. In New England, he is expected to fill the same role and thus fill the shoes previously worn by Camren Williams.

Williams, who worked as the Patriots’ southeast area scout since 2018, was recently promoted to national scout.

As for Evans, he already has some experience with New England. After a five-year career at the University of New Hampshire — one that later earned him a spot in the school’s Hall of Fame — the undrafted rookie free agent was invited to the team’s rookie minicamp in 2013. He did not sign a contract, but the experience was still an unforgettable one for the lifelong Patriots fan.

“To be out there on the field with the Patriots logo obviously means a lot to him,” Evans’ agent, Abu Toppin, told ESPN at the time. “It’s been a lifelong dream of Matt’s to have this opportunity.”

Now, Evans is back in New England.

His addition is one of five changes the Patriots have made to their scouting department so far this offseason. Before hiring the 31-year-old, the club also promoted Matt Groh to college scouting director, Steve Cargile to director of pro scouting, and the aforementioned Camren Williams to national scout; West Coast area scout Jonathan Howard, meanwhile, left New England to join the Carolina Panthers.