It has been a rough few weeks for the New England Patriots, as the news cycle has been dominated by the ongoing scandal involving head coach Mike Vrabel and NFL insider Dianna Russini.
We've heard from Vrabel about the situation, revealing he was going to miss Day 3 of the draft so seek counseling and spend time with family, but we hadn't heard from any players about it all until Tuesday morning.
Because voluntary offseason activities have started in Foxboro, several players are at the stadium and are inevitably available to speak with the media.
This morning, we heard from tight end Hunter Henry and linebacker Robert Spillane, both of whom were asked about the controversy with their head coach, and they expressed their unwavering support as the drama continues.
Mike Vrabel is the topic of conversation for Patriots players' first time speaking with the media this offseason
First to the podium was Henry, who didn't particularly want to discuss the elephant in the room, but did make it clear that Vrabel is still being his usual self, despite rumors to the contrary, and he expressed his appreciation for the time the coach took out to address the team about the situation.
“I thought he did a great job. He’s been the same Vrabes, bringing a lot of energy in the room.”
Spillane was up next, and he had a bit more to say than his teammates. He praised Vrabel for how he's handled the situation with the team, and also shared his support for him, citing that would be how Vrabel would handle things if he were going through something tough, too.
“Coach coaches football, and he keeps the main thing the main thing. I know he’s dealing with personal issues, but when we’re in the building, we speak football.
I love Coach, and I’m going to be here to support him as he would be there to support me through anything."
Because this is not going to go away any time soon, it was important for Vrabel to address the media before the draft to ensure questions for the rookies were only about them and their dreams coming true.
Unfortunately for those already on the team, that same sentiment couldn't be applied to them. But hopefully, they won't have to continue answering questions for someone else's situation for much longer.
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