Eliot Wolf’s future and other takeaways from Vrabel’s Patriots intro

Patriots

“It was clear to me, to my family and to my soul, that this was the place I wanted to be.”

By Conor Ryan

January 13, 2025 | 6:39 p.m.

6 minutes to read

The Mike Vrabel era has officially begun.

The Patriots introduced their 16th head coach in franchise history Monday afternoon at Gillette Stadium, with Vrabel and Patriots team owner Robert Kraft providing insight into the Patriots’ short coaching search. the team, the state of the franchise and Vrabel’s vision for the future.

Besides Vrabel’s focus on changing New England culture — as well as his plans to develop Drake Maye — here are six other takeaways from Monday’s press conference.

An easy sale

While most of Monday’s press conference was devoted to Vrabel answering questions from the media, Kraft opened the event by explaining why New England focused on the former linebacker after firing Jerod Mayo more early this month.

“During the interview process, Mike showed us that he has a very deep understanding of our current team and, more importantly, he has a clear and focused strategy on how to get us back to the championship, which “It’s not only so important to all of us, but also something that I think our fan base really deserves and expects,” Kraft acknowledged.

Although Vrabel noted that he interviewed with other NFL teams (including the Jets) during this coaching cycle, he added that it quickly became clear that New England was the place he wanted to be.

“I want to thank the teams who agreed to meet with me throughout this process to give me the opportunity to potentially lead their team, but in the end it was clear to me, to my family and to my soul , that it was the perfect place I wanted to be, and I thank Robert, and I thank the Kraft family,” Vrabel noted.

A working relationship with Eliot Wolf

It remains to be seen how Vrabel will augment New England’s coaching staff in the future, especially when it comes to who he will task with running the team’s offense and developing Drake Maye.

But beyond New England’s coaching staff, could Vrabel’s arrival signal a major shake-up within the team’s front office and player personnel?

While Vrabel tiptoed to some questions about who will be the team’s leader on the personnel side, he repeatedly referenced executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf on Monday.

“Eliot will laugh. I’ll say the good ones,” Vrabel said with a smile when asked what types of players he hopes the Patriots bring in this offseason.

While Wolf — who has served as New England’s de facto general manager this season — deserves plenty of criticism for his poor roster construction and whiffs in the 2024 NFL Draft, Kraft noted last week that he expected Wolf to remain with the organization in 2025.

“I’m just excited to sit down with Eliot and his team,” Vrabel said of Wolf. “I met with Eliot more this weekend…I had conversations with him, but I need to sit down with his team and figure out where we are, what we need to do. I have no doubt that these types of decisions will all work themselves out.

“We don’t always want to be on the same page. This is not the environment we want to create. But we want to have a common vision, and there are also different ways to achieve this. I understand that everyone will have a different personality.

Ryan Cowden’s reported arrival to the team’s front office in 2025 is worth keeping an eye on when it comes to the power structure in New England. Cowden knows Vrabel well, having served as the Titans’ vice president of personnel during Vrabel’s tenure with the organization.

According to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, Cowden will be second in command to Wolf in the team’s personnel department.

As expected, Vrabel remained tight-lipped Monday on the subject of Cowden and other potential hires.

“Eliot and I will have conversations,” Vrabel said. “As with any staff, there is going to be turnover, there are going to be new coaches and new faces, some with whom I will have a history and others with whom I will not have. And that is in what the interview process involves.

No decision yet on coaches

Although names like Josh McDaniels are already being discussed as potential candidates on Vrabel’s staff, the new Patriots head coach noted that the team has only just begun the process of evaluating the coaching staff in New -England.

“It’s far from solidified,” Vrabel said. “We want to put the most talented coaches in front of our players. When they stand in front of these players, I want them to embrace what each coach teaches. I’ll tell you this, as long as I’m the head coach here, our coaches will have three simple jobs – and they seem simple, and they’re probably not as simple as we’d like them to be.

“They want to teach, they want to develop and they want to inspire our players by connecting. We will build strong bonds with our players so that we can coach and push them. I really believed in this system and I believe in having great teachers, great developers and also coaches who will inspire our guys by making a connection so that they know exactly what motivates them.

A focus on the offensive line

While continuing to contribute to Drake Maye’s development is one of the top priorities for Vrabel and his coaching staff in 2025, the team also has some flaws that need to be addressed across the team .

While it could be argued that New England is woefully short on threats, pass rushers and linebackers, Vrabel emphasized the team’s need to strengthen the offensive line moving forward.

“You look at teams that are able to protect the QB and dictate the flow of the game offensively, making sure that up front we’re solid, we’re strong,” Vrabel said. “Whether it’s through free agency or the draft, it’s a critical thing. D-linemen are getting better every year, they’re getting more disruptive, they’re getting bigger, they’re getting more powerful, so when they’re trying to affect our QB, we have to have things that counterbalance. that.”

A clean slate

Although Vrabel quickly became a well-respected football coach after retiring as a player in 2010, he said it was important to forge his own path to get where he is today – rather than start coaching in New England on Bill Belichick’s staff.

“At some point the opportunity probably presented itself to be here as a coach, but I felt it was important to carve my own path elsewhere,” Vrabel said. “If all these experiences brought me back here at the right time and the right opportunity, then this would be what was meant to be.”

Even with Vrabel’s ties to New England when he played, he added that he doesn’t consider himself a coach in the same mold as Belichick.

“I’m not Bill, and I’m not Bill Cowher, I’m not anyone but me,” Vrabel said. “I’ve taken those experiences and tried to form what I believe is essential to the success of a football team and an organization.

“To say what it’s going to look like, I hope it’s just as successful. And our goals will be to win the AFC East, host home playoff games and compete for championships. That’s what it will take.

A promising foundation

Even though the Patriots have a lot of work to do to right the ship after four straight four-win seasons, Vrabel said his relationship with the Krafts — coupled with the potential already in place on New England’s roster — has made him regain the Patriots, an offer too good to pass up.

“I think the ability to have an open dialogue with Robert and Jonathan was something that was essential, Eliot and his team, obviously what I believe and what everyone believes is a young, dynamic quarterback,” Vrabel said.

“We have young people on the list. We have veteran players that have kind of seen both sides of the coin and understand, and that will help me and help our players get that success back and understand how difficult it is.