The Patriots have had a noteworthy offseason at the start of the Mike Vrabel era, with the standout additions to all parts of the roster perhaps the most exciting. A free agency that awarded top defensive players with hefty contracts was followed by an offensive-heavy draft to make life for Drake Maye much easier in Year 2, prompting the first legitimate optimism from fans in at least five years.
Because so many roster upgrades were made, however, plenty of trade chatter began circulating, with many offensive players looking like the likeliest targets. The areas most deemed vulnerable for those already on the team were the offensive line, running backs, and wide receivers, with Rhamondre Stevenson among the top names suggested to be on shaky ground.
Although he had quickly earned the starting role over his predecessors, an age-old issue arose once again during the 2024 season: fumbles. It became a significant issue for Stevenson throughout the year and presumably made him a possible trade target in the eyes of fans.
That was further validated with the drafting of running back TreVeyon Henderson in the second round last month. But fortunately for the veteran, Mike Vrabel doesn't view him in that light.
Rhamondre Stevenson should make the Patriots roster this season after Mike Vrabel's latest comments
With the start of OTAs this week, all players will be up for discussion from reporters, and it didn't take long for them to ask about Stevenson.
Although he is away from the team, it didn't take long for Vrabel to seemingly give the running back a chance at a sigh of relief to hear that he is expected to be a big part of the Patriots offense moving forward.
That should put any debate about Stevenson's availability via trade to rest for the time being. He just signed a contract extension last offseason that keeps him in New England until the 2029 season, so it shouldn't be shocking that Vrabel is keen on keeping him around.
Stevenson will also have a chance to improve his performance with new coaches, especially working with Josh McDaniels, whom he was coached by during his rookie season. The fumbling issue can easily be dealt with and can be a thing of the past for the running back, at least, that's the hope.
He's proven himself to be a solid piece of the offense over the last five years, and that isn't expected to change now. On top of that, Antonio Gibson is projected to become an even bigger part of the game plan this year, which will also include Henderson, so the pressure will not solely be on Stevenson alone, much like it has been throughout his career.
Vrabel's decision to keep him on the roster is another excellent example of just how much the new regime is prioritizing weaponizing the offense for Maye to work with and allowing him to have a weapon he's comfortable with already to remain on the team. It will only benefit his performance and make it much more exciting for fans to look forward to the 2025 season.