Coach Mike Vrabel's first offseason as Patriots head Coach

Head Coach Mike Vrabel with owner Robert Kraft

On January 13, 2025, owner of the New England Patriots Robert Kraft made an important and franchise saving move hiring new head coach Mike Vrabel as 16th head coach of the franchise. He replaces Jerod Mayo as head coach as former head coach Mayo struggled to gain control of the team and posted a disappointing season. Coach Mayo posted a disappointing season with only 4 wins with 13 loses. This was the second consecutive season the Patriots had a 4-13 season as Coach Mayo replaced legendary head coach Bill Belichick who also led the Patriots to 4-13 in his final season with the franchise after an extraordinary run with the team as head coach. However, after only posting 4 wins in the last two seasons and the franchise in a total decline with fans growing restless it was time for another change from ownership in a move to right the falling ship. So, Owner Robert Kraft looked to Patriots former player and Hall of Famer Mike Vrabel to save his franchise. Coach Vrabel has plenty of coaching experience with stints coaching in college at Ohio State as well as with the Texans and head coach of the Titians. With the Titians he spent 6 seasons with the franchise leading them to a 54-45 record from 2018-2023.

Coach Vrabel won AP coach of the year in 2021 with the Tennessee Titans and led Team to three playoff appearances while in Tennessee. Finally, Coach Vrabel brings a lot of energy and has fans in New England reenergized

In coach Vrabel's introductory press conference, he said " wants to galvanize this team." He also wants to bring a winning culture back to the Patriots organization. Vrabel wanted to remove entitlement from the team. One of the new head coaches moves was bringing in Bryan Cowden and John Streicher to the front office while retaining holdover front office personal like Defacto GM Eliot Wolf and Alonzo Highsmith, while retaining special team's coach Jeremy Springer. Head coach Vrabel continued to assemble his coaching staff this spring by rehiring offensive coordinator Josh McDaniel's as offensive coordinator and then Terrell Williams as Defensive Coordinator. As spring moved on and the team looked forward to the free agency period and the upcoming NFL Draft the Patriots assembled a coaching staff that would bring a new winning Culture to Foxboro. Free Agency came and the Patriots knocked it out of the park landing prize agents like DL Milton Williams, CB Carlton Davis III, DE Harold Landry, LB Robert Spillane, OL Morgan Moses and backup QB Joshua Dobbs and WR Mack Collins. Following that up with adding prize free agent WR Stefon Diggs later in free agency. Now I graded this free agency as an A++ but if you ask Coach Vrabel he said " we haven't won anything yet but maybe March.

Moving into April and all focus was on the upcoming NFL Draft, what would the Patriots do? Stay and pick at the fourth overall pick or trade out? Ultimately, they chose to draft Left Tackle out of LSU Will Campbell to protect franchise QB Drake Mayes blind side. When asked on draft night about Maye newly drafted Campbell said, "He would fight and die to protect him." wow powerful words there. The Patriots would up with steals with the next two picks first taking running back TreVeyon Henderson out of Ohio State who is a powerful running back who can catch the ball out of the backfield and score from anywhere on the field. Follow that up with selecting explosive wide receiver Kyle Williams from Washington St. Williams showed his speed and elusiveness by having a career game against this year's Heisman Trophy winner and 2nd overall pick Travis Hunter. New England continued to build on a solid draft by selecting cornerback Craig Woodson, Offensive linemen Jared Wilson, and two steals the first defensive tackle Joshua Farmer out of Florida State who the team traded up to get, and the second explosive and speedy linebacker out of LSU Brady Swinson. Finally, Coach Vrabel added some interesting players that went undrafted such as wide receiver Efton Chism III from Eastern Washington, Tight End C.J. Dippre, running back Lan Larison, Offensive Linemen Jack Conley all of whom will push to make the final roster this summer. I also gave the draft and undrafted free agency signings as an A++.

To sum up Head Coach Mike Vrabel's first offseason I gave him an A for the front office and Coaches he brought in. With a solid Free Agency and Draft to follow I also gave him A++ for each. Finally with the hire of HC Mike Vrabel to the organization there is renewed optimism around the team as well as Patriots fans everywhere in which should lead to a successful season.