The New England Patriots have officially introduced Mike Vrabel as the 16th head coach in franchise history. He stood on the podium at Gillette Stadium and made a difference for the franchise.
Vrabel embodies the characteristics of the first half of the Patriots’ dynasty in the 2000s and hopes to modernize New England’s new winning tradition. Vrabel had a successful career as head coach of the Tennessee Titans and returned to Foxborough to improve his former team.
Vrabel on Monday shared his belief and direction for the Patriots to turn around their recent downturn from the past five seasons. There’s a reason New England hired him, and the 49-year-old answered the call.
Here’s how I evaluated Vrabel’s inaugural press conference as Patriots head coach.
charisma
Vrabel opened with a joke from his playing days for reporters, demonstrating a personality that appeals to those around the modern-day Patriots during the post-dynasty era of New England.
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Mr. Vrabel gave an engaging speech and answered questions from reporters as clearly as possible. He didn’t dodge questions for the most part and showed a personality that helped him stay involved with players in the Patriots’ locker room.
direction
From abolishing entitlements to preaching culture and accountability, Vrabel hopes to eliminate New England’s recent flaws and shatter any remaining egos within the Patriots building. He expects player buy-in and the team’s interests to always be at the forefront.
Vrabel also made a concrete effort to talk about his goals of rebuilding an offensive line that is in dire need of improvement and improving the talent surrounding young quarterback Drake Maye. The Patriots need to make a lot of adjustments, and Vrabel laid out first-hand his plans to do so.
information
NESN.com’s Sean T. McGuire detailed key quotes from Vrabel’s press conference. He sought organizational responsibility and set an early precedent for an identity that guaranteed the team’s development.
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Grade: A-
Vrabel’s press conference wasn’t necessarily flawed, but you can’t put a cap on it after 24 hours. The Patriots’ new coach is doing the job he deserves, and the roster needs upgrades across the board.
So far, Vrabel has said all the right things to remind us why the Patriots entrusted him with the keys to the New England franchise.
