The final years of the Bill Belichick era in New England inevitably led to a head coaching change in hopes of revitalizing a team that had been historically successful. Patriots fans were willing to accept the tides had turned, and it was time to move on from the greatest head coach of all time, but Jerod Mayo was not who they hoped to see as his successor.
The concerns surrounding his inexperience as an NFL coach were almost immediately validated as the offseason began. From the comments, he had to immediately walk back to the locker room, appearing to have become too comfortable with the lack of stern coaching. It was clear that the Patriots were not on the path they needed to be on.
Mayo demonstrated this more during practice and in games, seeming to have a more hands-off and relaxed approach to coaching that Patriots fans were not used to seeing, nor did they expect to want to see that continue post-Belichick.
But now that Mike Vrabel has taken over, it's clear that the right guy has been brought in, and he has already made an impact on the roster that Mayo failed to do during his lone season at the helm.
Mike Vrabel might be more of a player's coach than Patriots fans thought Jerod Mayo was
Aside from his six years of experience as the Titans' head coach being a significant difference between Vrabel and Mayo, the Patriots' new head coach has already shown that he is more willing to work with the team as a whole than was seen with the previous regime.
Given his versatility as a player and his lengthy resume as various coaches and coordinators in the NFL, Vrabel has a well-rounded understanding of the game of football, much like that of Belichick, which he is showing on the practice field.
He spoke about the importance of working one-on-one with players during OTAs and minicamp, which analysts and fans appreciated, making it even clearer that he is the right head coach for the Patriots at the right time.
"I think it's important. I think one, I enjoy it. I like it. I try to be as knowledgeable at every position as I possible can. Some more than others - we referenced the quarterback. But having something at each position group that can maybe translate from my perspective to help the player. But then I also think that where the head coach is is probably what the players think are important. So, I try to be a little bit everywhere."
With mandatory minicamp concluding this week, the Patriots will be on a break until training camp begins next month. Vrabel needed to establish himself as the head coach and the kind of coach he will be, exhibiting that impressively already by working with nearly every player on the roster at some point during practice over the past month.
The fact that he took the time to work with not just the defense, but also everyone on the offense, with some receiving one-on-one coaching, is something fans wanted to see from Mayo but never got. This sets a precedent that Vrabel will be a hands-on head coach, and the team will significantly benefit from his knowledge and expertise.
It will inevitably pay off once the regular season begins, especially with the other coaches the roster will have to work with, most notably Josh McDaniels, who will lead the offense. And it will be invaluable when games are underway, as Vrabel will know how to help the entire team and not just one position group.