When the New England Patriots hired Mike Vrabel, there was no doubt that he'd bring a fresh approach and a positive outlook to the team's affairs. He's done that and much more in his first offseason in command in Foxborough.
An experienced coach in building teams, Vrabel is acutely aware that good or great teams are built in the offseason. The team then plays the games to validate that reality. In free agency, who you sign and who you let leave will, to a great extent, shape the next season's outlook. The draft will finish the job.
No season in the NFL exists except for the one right in front of you. Strategizing about long-term rebuilding should be confined to fantasyland. Adopting that attitude is a one-way ticket to Jetsville, a loser's strategy. Vrabel has some squad-paring under his belt, as well as major free-agency moves.
Let's take a look at how he's done so far and assign a grade.
Patriots coach Mike Vrabel says out with the old, in with the new
Patriots offseason grade (so far): B/B+
It's clear that the 2025 version of the New England Patriots will look far different from the 2024 one. Vrabel has already pared down his roster. He astutely didn't resign many of the Pats' own free agents. They included defensive end Deatrich Wise Jr., cornerback Jonathan Jones, defensive tackle Daniel Ekuale, and quarterback Jacoby Brissett.
The team traded starting nose tackle Davon Godchaux, and two additional longtime Patriots starters, center David Andrews and linebacker Ja'Whaun Bentley, were released. Expect more roster-trimming of the 2024 players as the offseason unfolds.
Vrabel's defensive free-agency signings have been significant. He's added better players and improved with every signing. On the defensive line, Vrabel signed arguably the best defensive tackle available in Milton Williams. On the second level, he added linebackers Robert Spillane and Jack Gibbens, perfect scheme fits.
He also added two starting edge players, Harold Landry III and K'Lavon Chaisson, and a solid No. 2 cornerback, Carlton Davis III. All of these players are upgrades over 2024. Offseasons are about getting better. Vrabel improved all three levels of his defense in free agency. He aced that aspect of his roster-building.
Mike Vrabel and his offensive free agency plan
Vrabel's offensive performance in free agency has been a mixed bag. He's added some solid, if not spectacular, veteran additions to the much-maligned offensive line. They were long overdue. Right tackle Morgan Moses, guard Wes Schweitzer, and center Garrett Bradbury are all better than those they'll replace. This upgraded an O-line that was among the worst in the NFL.
He's also added significantly to the wide receiver room. His major offensive splash in free agency was signing longtime No. 1 wide receiver Stefon Diggs. Diggs is coming off an ACL tear, but if reports are true, he's making progress on his rehab. Whenever he gets back on the field, he'll step right into the No. 1 WR position.
He also added another former Buffalo Bills receiver (addition by subtraction), Mack Hollins. Hollins isn't a prolific pass-catcher, but he makes his catches count with first downs and touchdowns. He'll be the Patriots' number No. 2B or 3 receiver and red-zone threat. He's an underrated, solid addition.
The downside on offense thus far is the lack of signing a left tackle or two. That deficiency consigned the team to last place in 2024 before a ball was even snapped. It was an amateurish mistake by the personnel operation.
Vrabel's offensive additions have been solid so far. Yet, a final grade has to be reserved until after the draft, the presumptive place he'll go early and often to bolster the left tackle position. Failure to do so (or trading for a couple) will be a gross error and will hinder a team with surprisingly good potential. It's a position that, after the quarterback, is the most important one on the field.
The grade for the offense right now is a B- (incomplete). It's been solid, but not drafting or otherwise securing one or two left tackles drops the grade significantly. Vrabel will have that chance in the draft at the end of April. He has to ace it.
Mike Vrabel is a top NFL head coach. He's proving he's capable of running a personnel operation, as well. If he drafts consensus top players at the Patriots' positions of need, including multiple left tackles, he'll ace the draft and the entire offseason with it.
Thus far, Vrabel's offseason grade is a B/B+, and it could get a whole lot better.