(Photo courtesy of Pro Football Rumors) “Mike Vrabel is set to take over as Head Coach for the Patriots this coming season.”
Liam O’Keefe
Connector Staff
The New England Patriots franchise has reached a low not seen in decades. They have missed the playoffs the last three straight years and are coming off consecutive 4-12 seasons. This disaster needs to be fixed, and the Patriots can do so this offseason.
The Patriots’ offseason moves started very early on, as mere hours after their final game of the season, owner Robert Kraft announced the firing of first-year Head Coach Jerod Mayo. This plunged the franchise back into the head coaching cycle for the second straight year. This time around, the team ended up hiring another former Patriot in Mike Vrabel to be the team’s new head coach. Vrabel was the head coach of the Tennessee Titans where he found much success, even winning the NFL’s Coach of the Year award in 2021.
Vrabel brings about a brand new vision of how to run a football team with his intensity and attention to detail being the focal points of his style. Vrabel is also out in luck, as he will have the resources to get what he wants this off-season.
The Patriots currently have the cap space in the league, meaning they have the most room to spend money on high-end free agents. The team also has the number four overall draft pick in this year’s draft, as well as a substantial amount of draft picks to use as trade leverage or to draft the next generation of Patriots.
As for what Vrabel wants, he has spoken about how he wants to upgrade the trenches of this roster, so look for the Patriots to bring in some big bodies this spring to fortify said trenches. Vrabel has also spoken about how crucial it will be to help Patriots quarterback Drake Maye. Adding offensive linemen, as well as new pass catchers, will ease the pressure off of Maye’s shoulders and allow him to continue to develop into an elite quarterback.
The free agent class will certainly have some guys the Patriots will look to add to their roster. A few names that stand out are tackles Ronnie Stanley and Alaric Jackson, wide receiver Stefon Diggs and linebacker Khalil Mack. These are all players who fit the needs of the team and guys who would certainly improve the team’s performance.
The Draft is also a great way for the Patriots to upgrade their roster and with the number four pick, they have the ability to take a highly skilled player.
Players that have been linked to the Patriots at this point in the process are Arizona wide receiver Tet McMillian, Michigan defensive lineman Mason Graham, Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter, and LSU tackle Will Campbell. The Patriots could take any one of these players and it would be an immediate upgrade to the team. However, there is always a chance that the team will trade back to acquire more picks and assets.
For the second year in a row, it is a new era in New England. But, this time around it has a much different feel to it as coach Vrabel is a guy who proves he knows how to build a championship-contending roster and the Patriots seem to have their leader of the franchise in Drake Maye. These changes will hopefully culminate in some wins and give this success-starved fanbase something to cheer about.
