FOXBORO, Mass. – Mike Vrabel is the best guy in New England.
Robert Kraft, Jonathan Kraft, Robyn Glaser, Eliot Wolf and Alonzo Highsmith are the names we’ve heard in recent months when it comes to the organization’s top brass, but the real head of football operations made his return on Monday .
That’s clear to everyone who was at Gillette Stadium.
Vrabel has obvious control over how things will play out at One Patriot Place. New England doesn’t seem to have a problem with that either, as everything we’ve heard during his reintroduction to the franchise paints a picture of someone who was given the last word after a year full of turmoil .
“I think the most important thing is that there is a common organizational vision on what we want to do, how we want to work and how we want to acquire players,” Vrabel said. “There are many ways to acquire players through free agency, trades, the draft and post-draft, after training camp. I’m excited to sit down with Eliot and his team. I met more Eliots this weekend than (anyone else). I’ve had conversations with him, but I have 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.
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“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 different ways to achieve that as well. I accept that everyone has a different personality. I don’t want my staff to be like me. I don’t want all our players to be the same. We’re going to have diverse ideas, and that’s key, and being able to have those kinds of conversations is something I look forward to.
Vrabel isn’t going to outright say he’s running the show, but there’s really no other way to do things after making him head coach. New England is already reportedly making changes to the support staff, poaching one of Vrabel’s confidants from another organization to help create that “shared vision” he’s looking to develop.
Wolf is also likely more than happy with the new direction, as the improvements to the coaching staff and a more solidified vision will undoubtedly make his job much easier.
The Patriots are essentially going backwards with this decision, elevating someone to the top spot who will have full reign over the direction of the franchise. It’s not exactly what we were used to for two decades, but it’s pretty close.
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“I’m not Bill (Belichick) and I’m not Bill Cowher,” Vrabel said. “I am no one but me. I have taken those experiences and tried to form what I believe to be essential to the success of a football team and organization.
“…Our goals will be to win the AFC East, host home playoff games and compete for championships…Those will be our expectations, and we’re going to work like crazy, we’re going to compete like crazy, we’re going to give a plan to the players, and they’re going to build an identity on the field in how we’re going to play and play for each other in a way that they’re going to be proud of.”
We’ll see where things go from here, but they’re off to a good start.
