All the preliminaries for the 2025 New England Patriots season are nearly completed. Mike Vrabel is building a new team and a new culture. A lot of new players have arrived, and former players have left. By August 26, Vrabel will have pared down his roster to 53 players, most of whom will be on the roster when they play their first game on September 7.
Vrabel has had an auspicious debut offseason as the Patriots' top decision-maker. The disparity between the dreadful 2024 offseason and this one is massive. Vrabel is an experienced NFL Head Coach and personnel evaluator, and it showed in 2025 in no uncertain terms.
In six months, Vrabel has rebuilt his offense and defense, adding playmakers to each. While miracles aren't to be expected over one offseason, the 2024 team lost six games by only one score. This team is clearly a one-score better than that group was. In addition, they now have a second-year quarterback, not rookie Drake Maye, and Vrabel wants to keep him on the field.
Mike Vrabel warns Drake Maye not to take foolish risks
The key player on any NFL team is their quarterback. Vrabel took the Patriots job, partially because he knew he had a good one lined up in Maye. Keeping Maye healthy has required a significant investment in resources, including adding numerous players to the offensive line and securing better playmakers at the skill positions. Yet all that falls apart if Maye gets injured.
The Boston Herald's Andrew Callahan recently quoted Mike Vrabel warning Maye about not taking unnecessary risks.
“'We talked to him about not taking a senseless hit outside the pocket on second-and-10,' Vrabel said post-game. 'If there’s nobody there, throw it away, and we’ll try to convert.'"
Here, Vrabel's experience and Maye's lack thereof come into focus. Maye has the exuberance of youth, and that's a good thing. Yet, if that leads to his getting dinged up and missing time, it's a major loss for his team. Quarterbacks get hurt: it's part of the game. But don't put yourself unnecessarily in harm's way.
Drake Maye has to play well and smart
Expectations are high that Drake Maye will take a massive second-year leap, and there is little likelihood of a sophomore slump. Having an improved offensive line and far better receiving corps, Maye, who did a lot with nothing in 2024, should have a far better 2025 season.
With a terrible accompanying staff, Maye completed 66 percent of his 2024 passes with no first-team reps in pre-season and until about the fourth game of the year. This was the mismanagement of a rookie's development on a massive scale. It contributed to a dismal 4-13 season.
The Patriots are poised for a jump in wins and, maybe in an optimistic scenario, to contend for a playoff berth. However, if Maye is injured, all those bets are off, and the momentum built this offseason will fall off a cliff.
That's why Vrabel's admonition to Maye about not taking unnecessary risks has to be taken to heart by the second-year player. If he does and can stay healthy, this will be a far better team than the 2024 Patriots. But on that note, don't expect miracles from game one either from the Patriots' rookies or anyone else. It will be a process to get better, and it will take a few games to do so.