In the weeks since the Patriots announced that Mike Vrabel would be the next head coach, nearly every move he has made has been deemed a win for the team. He has put together an impressive coaching staff, with extensive experience appearing to be a big part in who to hire, prompting even more optimism about how good the season ahead can be.
It's a different feeling than when Jerod Mayo was assembling his staff one year ago. Besides some questionable names being added to the group, there was also a noticeable difficulty during the interview process, with many quality candidates not being interested in any positions available.
That led to Alex Van Pelt being the 12th interview for the offensive coordinator vacancy, which seemingly became a problem throughout the season, and the lack of interviewing for other positions, like defensive coordinator, contributed to a massive downfall in production.
Fortunately, at least through the hiring process, Vrabel hasn't been criticized much for who he has brought on board. But there is room to question one decision he's made regarding not keeping someone on staff, who had been with the team for a long time and is now joining one of the Patriots' biggest rivals instead.
Patriots are set to lose one of their best coaches , Mike Pellegrino, to the Bills for the 2025 season
When a new head coach is hired, there's an expectation that most, if not all, of those from the previous regime will not stick around for another season. It's not often that there is much carry over from the season before, no matter how good some may be.
That has been the case so far for Vrabel, who has only kept a select few coaches around for his staff, but some of those he has decided not to retain is a massive loss, especially when they wind up with a divisional rival in their next venture.
The coach who could be labeled the biggest mistake to let go is longtime cornerbacks coach Mike Pellegrino, who is set to join the Bills coaching staff for the 2025 season. It's a huge loss on a multitude of levels for the Patriots, but even more so since he will be coaching the team's biggest direct competition for the foreseeable future.
The #Bills are expected to hire former #Patriots cornerbacks coach Mike Pellegrino, sources tell @CBSSports/@247Sports.
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) February 10, 2025
Pellegrino worked for the Patriots the last 10 seasons, including the last six as cornerbacks coach.https://t.co/qOetA1iLiU pic.twitter.com/enWYR2Lmk9
Buffalo's decision to poach Pellegrino makes sense, given that their defense ranked 21st against the pass in 2024. Of the options available, he was likely one of, if not the best, candidates to add to their staff.
But it's a significant loss for New England, as Pellegrino worked hand-in-hand with some of the defense's best talent over the last ten years. The cornerbacks, in particular, have garnered a lot of attention during that time, with Stephon Gilmore, Christian Gonzalez, and J.C. Jackson becoming some of the best players on the team.
It's an even bigger loss, considering the position is one of tremendous need for the 2025 season. Whoever the Patriots decide to bring in, whether via free agency or the draft, could have greatly benefitted from having a coach like Pellegrino to learn from.
Instead, he will be in enemy territory starting next season, and the Patriots could become the biggest losers when facing the Bills twice a year. Not retaining Pellegrino could be a move that haunts Vrabel for a long time. Hopefully, it won't be, but it's hard to argue it won't be.