Robert Haines has been hired by the New England Patriots to be their Midwest area scout.
Haines began working with the Carolina Panthers in 2007, working in their video department. He would eventually work his way up through the organization and became a national scout in 2022.
The Panthers parted ways with Haines after the 2024 season.
His connection with the Patriots is well established after spending a good portion of his Carolina tenure working with current Patriots vice president of player personnel Ryan Cowden. Cowden worked as a scout for the Panthers from 2000 to 2015 before departing Carolina to take a position with the Tennessee Titans.
Haines will likely replace the departing Justin Hickman. Hickman had been with the Patriots since 2020 and will join the Atlanta Falcons to become a national scout.