New Reports Paint Clear Picture Of Mike Vrabel, Patriots Hierarchy
Mike Vrabel confirmed he is comfortable collaborating with Eliot Wolf and the New England Patriots personnel department.
And that might be because Wolf and his team reportedly will be underneath Vrabel, who will have final say on the Patriots roster.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter and NBC Sports Boston’s Tom E. Curran each reported it would be the case Tuesday.
“He’s staying in his job, whatever that is,” Schefter said of Wolf while appearing on “The Pat McAfee Show.” “Vrabes is the man. Vrabes is the man.”
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Schefter reported the Patriots will bring in executive Ryan Cowden, who most recently worked for the Giants and previously spent time with Vrabel in Tennessee. Cowden will “assist” Wolf and could hold the title of assistant vice president of player personnel, Schefter said.
Curran echoed much of the same during a radio appearance on WEEI’s “Jones & Keefe” on Tuesday.
“My understanding and belief is that Mike Vrabel will have final say,” Curran told the radio station. “Eliot Wolf is in a support role. Even though the title says he will be over Ryan Cowden, I don’t know exactly the landscape there, how that will flush out. But from everything I have been told, and from everything that has been indicated so far, Eliot wants to be in a support role. He doesn’t want to run herd on the personnel department.
“I’m not saying he’s going to recede into the background entirely, but I think his job safety and his short- and long-term future are attached to him being able to say, ‘Hey, I want to help Mike. I don’t want to argue with Mike. I want to find out what Mike wants and get that for him.'”
Such an understanding could go a long way as the Patriots try to build the program back up and compete for their top goals.