Patriots Rumors: Mike Vrabel’s Presence Changing Perception Of Team

The Patriots weren’t a viable destination last year, but Mike Vrabel might have changed that sentiment.

New England’s stock was at its lowest when Bill Belichick left Foxboro, Mass. The franchise didn’t have many quality stars and Jerod Mayo was an unproven head coach.

Fast forward a year, Drake Maye looks like a legit franchise quarterback and Vrabel replaced Mayo. Maye’s talent reportedly was enough to entice offensive coordinator candidates, and Vrabel as head coach had people in the NFL thinking about New England in a more optimistic light.

“He gives them an identity,” one assistant coach from a rival AFC team told Mike Giardi of the Boston Sports Journal. “Another still turned his nose up at the roster but said, ‘Mike will weed out who belongs and who doesn’t. They’ll be better for it.’ “

Vrabel seemed to send a message to those players in his introductory news conference, and his arrival combined with Josh McDaniels’ return brought excitement to a team that finished 4-13 in 2024.

The Patriots roster is still lacking in the talent department, but there’s optimism that Vrabel will be able to build a better team and get New England back into relevancy.