Mike Vrabel has the ‘ideal choice’ for defensive coordinator

Mike Vrabel is back in New England and now he has to decide who he wants around him at One Patriot Place.

Vrabel, who officially became the Patriots’ new head coach last Sunday, is currently putting his team together. The most notable vacancies in Foxboro, Mass., are offensive and defensive coordinator, expected to be vacated by the departures of Alex Van Pelt and DeMarcus Covington, respectively.

There has been a lot of noise about the offensive coordinator job going to Josh McDaniels, who held the position in the midst of the Patriots’ dynastic run. As for defensive coordinator, Vrabel might have a clear preference.

“Some around the NFL think (Terrell) Williams, 50, would be Vrabel’s ideal choice for defensive coordinator,” ESPN’s Mike Reiss wrote in a column published Sunday. “And if that doesn’t happen, Vrabel could turn to others who coached alongside Williams at Tennessee, like Philadelphia Eagles inside linebackers coach Bobby King, the Philadelphia Eagles’ outside linebackers coach Miami Dolphins Ryan Crow and Titans passing game coordinator/linebackers coach Chris Harris.

Williams has been coaching in the NFL since 2012, when he entered the league as the Raiders’ defensive line coach. The Los Angeles native took on the same role in Miami before working alongside Vrabel in Tennessee for six seasons. Like Vrabel, Williams severed ties with the Titans after the 2023 campaign and spent this season in Detroit.

It remains to be seen whether Vrabel’s report’s vision for Williams will come to fruition. But the latter is apparently ready to take on this responsibility after more than a decade of coaching service in the NFL.