NFL coaching changes are major events for the team and especially for the players. New coaches have new ideas about which players on their new team fit their roster, and jobs are always in jeopardy when there's a coaching shift. The 2025 Patriots are a prime example.
New Patriots Head Coach and personnel evaluator, Mike Vrabel, is a former Patriot. Yet, no loyalty remains when it's time to create a roster he thinks can meet his first major objective, dethroning the Buffalo Bills from the top of the AFC East.
That's no easy task for Vrabel or anyone else, and his approach to the 2024 roster that went 4-13 bears that out. Vrabel engaged in a major house-cleaning of players who don't fit his schemes, aren't the right size for the scheme, or who just don't measure up. More than 20 players from 2024 have seen the exit door, including all six 2024 captains. But those who remain are liking what they see.
Top players are energized by the new head coach Mike Vrabel
Those players who made the cut are Vrabel's players, especially those he brought in in free agency, the draft, undrafted free agency, or even the waiver wire. There's been a wholesale clear-out of players from the Belichick/Mayo years, and more will follow.
Yet, two who like what they see from their new coach have recently expressed their views publicly. One is a returnee, and one is a 2025 draft pick. Both are energized by what they see from their new head coach.
#Patriots LT Will Campbell on HC Mike Vrabel jumping in a pile to break up a fight:
— Carlos A. Lopez (@LosTalksPats) August 30, 2025
“He has the same energy we do. We feed off of it, y’know? Whenever you see your head coach diving in a pile, it’s like, ‘Oh sh*t. Let’s get it.’”
(🎥 @Patriots) pic.twitter.com/Tay82r1zgW
DeMario Douglas shared the same sentiment about his new head coach during a recent appearance on Patriots' legends Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski's podcast "Dudes on Dudes."
Statements like those from Campbell and Douglas epitomize the "culture change" that Vrabel has brought to the team and instilled in his players, whether from the old regimes or his own. All are now Vrabel's players (at least for the time being), and the theme is clear: they'll be happy to go to bat for their new head coach.
Vrabel's energy is transferred to his players
One thing is perfectly clear: Mike Vrabel is an energy guy, and his players will reflect that energy, or they'll be playing somewhere else. Vrabel is a taskmaster when it comes to teamwork and camaraderie. Whether it be celebrating a good play together or bolstering teammates at any other time, it's team first for the 2025 Patriots.
At times, the so-called "culture" of a team can be overblown. You can have all the great culture in the world, but if the talent isn't there, you'll still be at the bottom of the NFL pile. Yet, in Vrabel's and the 2025 Patriots' case, it's perfectly apropos.
Vrabel has remodeled his entire team. His most important personnel actions have been to shore up positions that were among the worst in the 2024 NFL: the offensive line and receiving corps. Vrabel cleaned house in both units, and only a few players remain in those rooms from 2024's debacle.
He upgraded both starting units significantly. Additionally, he focused on bringing in playmakers. Big-play guys win games, and Vrabel brought a bunch on board on both sides of the ball. While depth concerns are real and will likely limit the team's success in 2025, having solid starters is fundamental to winning in 2025. Better players and a great culture will lead to wins, and possibly even a 2025 playoff berth.