We’re running a weekly mailbag throughout the offseason. If you have questions on the Patriots, NFL, or want to gripe about past answers, email cmason@masslive.com or ask @bychrismason on Twitter or Bluesky. Now let’s get to this week’s questions!
Should the Patriots hire Mike Vrabel as their next coach? — Mike M.
Yes.
It’s stunning that Vrabel didn’t land a head coaching gig in the last cycle and I think he’s exactly what the current Patriots need. Landing Vrabel would bring instant credibility to a floundering franchise, and more importantly than that, accountability.
The former All-Pro linebacker isn’t just a coach, he’s a culture builder. All of his Titans teams had a clear identity and were an absolute pain to go up against (despite pedestrian quarterback play). Just ask Tom Brady about “the hyenas” in his final game with the Patriots.
When mulling Vrabel’s candidacy, I revisited his Patriots Hall of Fame induction speech, and one part of that caught my ear was the influence of New England’s old locker room on his current coaching strategy.
“We held each other accountable because there was trust. There was an understanding. There was a respect,” Vrabel said. “You could say things that needed to be said to each other, and every day that’s what I’m trying to recreate.
“Wherever I coach… I’m trying to recreate what we had in that locker room. I don’t know if we’ll get it, but we’re going to try. Every day I’m going to try. Because nothing was more important than the team. Not your feelings. Not your stats. Not your paycheck. Not what you’d done in the past. Nothing was more important than the football team.”
To me, Vrabel seems like the ideal blend of old school and new age thinking. With modern athletes, I think there’s a fine line coaches need to walk between friend and disciplinarian. Listening to Vrabel’s players in Tennessee, it sounds like he’s got that down. Jerod Mayo struggled to find the balance during his lone season in Foxborough.
After the Mayo experience, I’d bet Robert Kraft is leery of another first year coach and it’s hard to blame him. Ben Johnson and Liam Coen are undoubtedly talented play-callers, but are they ready to lead an organization? Impossible to say at this point. Vrabel is the safer bet.
Even if Vrabel doesn’t lead the Patriots back to the Super Bowl, he should be able to bring them back to respectability. Given where things are at right now in Foxborough, that’d be a massive leap forward.
Will Robert Kraft force Mike Vrabel to work with Eliot Wolf? Is Wolf there during the interviews simply to help keep the operation going? — John R.
I believe Vrabel will be able to bring in his own personnel chief, and while Wolf will stay on, he might land in a different role. For whatever reason, people seemed to misconstrue what Robert Kraft said on Monday.
To my ear, it was relatively straightforward:
Q: What will happen with, for instance, the personnel department? What decisions will be made with whoever the next coach is, having the latitude to bring in his own players, his own scouting staff, his own coaches?
Kraft: “Yeah, we’ll wait until we bring that coach in. Obviously, he’s going to have big input on who the players are and who the coaches are. It’ll be his decision.”
Q: At this juncture, would it be status quo for everybody on the staff until an individual is found?
Kraft: “Yes. Look, we move fast and we’re going to let (the next coach) make those decisions.”
So the next coach is going to have “big input” on personnel and he’ll be able to “make those decisions” about the staff. Reading between the lines, if Vrabel has an executive he’s packaging himself with — Ryan Cowden, Mike Borgonzi, etc. — I’d expect him to take over the Patriots front office with a title above Wolf, who is currently executive vice president of player personnel.
What should make me think Vrabel would have a better passing offense this time around compared to when he was coach of the Titans? — David T.
Drake Maye.
If Vrabel takes the New England gig, Maye will immediately become the most talented quarterback he’s had as a head coach. In Tennessee, Vrabel had Ryan Tannehill, Marcus Mariota, and Will Levis as his starters. Vrabel still posted a winning record and was able to revive Tannehill’s career in a way few believed possible. Now imagine that with Maye under center.
Beyond that, Vrabel had a great eye for offensive coordinators. Under his watch, Matt LaFleur and Arthur Smith both excelled to the point that they landed head coaching gigs of their own.
Now that he can be extended, do you expect Marcus Jones to be extended? Same question for Cole Strange? — @patscap.bsky.social
I don’t believe either will be extended this offseason.
In Jones’ case, I think there are too many variables for the player to want to sign an extension at this point. He’s been a fine slot cornerback, but those guys don’t break the bank, and he has other attributes that have yet to be maximized. Why limit his earning potential if the Patriots opt to use him more on offense next season? With more touchdowns, would come more zeros in his bank account. If Jones is smart, he’ll wait to see how the next staff deploys him before signing anything.
With Strange, I think it’s the team that’d be warier of an extension given the injury he’s coming back from and the positional uncertainty he’s facing. The Patriots are certain to decline Strange’s fifth-year option — which would cost an estimated $17.4 million — and I think they’ll want to see more snaps from him before committing longer term.
IMO, Vederian Lowe was way too inconsistent and had too many penalties, but do you think he did enough to solidify himself as a starter moving forward? Or should he be relegated to the top swing tackle role while we draft the best prospect or search for a replacement in FA? — @SelfMadeBreeeze
Swing tackle, for sure.
Lowe had some good moments and played through multiple injuries, but nothing about his tape from this season screams “long term answer at left tackle.” The Patriots need to be aggressive in free agency and the NFL Draft to upgrade at both tackle spots. But I think Lowe would be a fine swing tackle and good depth given the attrition offensive lines often face.
Is there a Plan C if Vrabel decides Tom Brady and Vegas is more appealing than NE, and Ben Johnson decides NE isn’t the right fit for him? – @threebirdsheff.bsky.social
Brian Flores, perhaps?
But given the Patriots haven’t put in for an interview request with Flores yet, I think you nailed both Plan A (Vrabel) and Plan B (Johnson).
- BETTING: Check out our MA sports betting guide, where you can learn basic terminology, definitions and how to read odds for those interested in learning how to bet in Massachusetts.
