The New England Patriots appear headed for major changes in the near future.
Whether we're talking about the future of the quarterback position, key defensive players who may not be brought back, or even something bigger, the fact of the matter is, the Patriots are no where near where they're used to being.
One of the biggest changes that could be made is if the Patriots move on from head coach Bill Belichick. Despite signing a lucrative extension this past offseason, New England might still fire the long-time, legendary, future Hall of Fame head coach.
If they do, rumor has it that the Patriots' hand-picked replacement could be a former Patriots player and current Tennessee Titans head coach, Mike Vrabel.
Why would the Patriots hire Vrabel and fire Belichick? There are a few reasons.
1. The game has passed Belichick by
Look, let's be real here. First and foremost, the game has completely passed Belichick by. Whether or not Vrabel is the ultimate successor in New England, the fact of the matter is that Belichick is no longer equipped to be a head coach in today's league.
Just look at the proof. It's in the pudding, as they say.
Belichick's record without Tom Brady starting is 82-96. Since Brady left New England, the Patriots have been average at best. It is very easy to see that this team needs new leadership. On one hand, it's kind of sad. But on the other, these are fans who are used to winning, and it's simply not happening under Belichick.
it is time to move on, and Vrabel appears to be a top candidate.
2. Vrabel is a former player
Vrabel is, of course, a former NFL linebacker who played eight seasons in New England under Belichick. So, he learned quite a bit from Belichick. But, at the same time, Vrabel understands the game from a player's point of view, which is valuable in today's league.
Not only does he understand the game from a player's point of view, but he's quite a bit younger than Belichick and has been able to better understand how the game has evolved from today's player's point of view.
If you look at many of the league's top coaches and coordinators these days, there is a good amount of them who were NFL players at one point. Whether or not they were good players is another conversation, but in today's NFL, it is a huge advantage for a player to know their leader has been right where they currently stand.
This current generation of players, just like today's society, is very self-centric. They need to see proof before doing something. They need to know that others know where they're at and what they're going through on a daily basis. It's just how human nature has evolved, and that's another reason why bringing in Vrabel would benefit this team, especially the younger guys.
3. Vrabel fits the Patriots' unorthodox way of doing things
In a league that is extremely offensively dominant, I could definitely see the Patriots go out and hire a defensive-minded head coach. It seems almost silly to do nowadays, as the majority of good teams in this league are operated by an offensive mind at the helm. But, New England hasn't always done things by the book. And, Vrabel would bring a strong defensive presence to the Patriots.
Although the Titans may not be a top defense right now, Vrabel has proven he can do it. The Titans had the no. 5 scoring defense in 2021, no. 12 in 2019 and no. 3 in 2018 under Vrabel.
The coach brings a lot of focus on fundamentals to the table. His defenses are typically very sound and don't miss tackles. At the very least, Vrabel's attitude and toughness would be welcome in New England.
Again, would Patriots fans love to go find their franchise quarterback and pair him with a top offensive head coaching candidate like a Brian Johnson or Frank Smith? Absolutely, they would. But, that's not always how the Patriots go about things.
4. Vrabel brings winning experience
First of all, with Vrabel, you know you are getting a coach with head coaching experience. Sometimes, that's a good thing. Sometimes, it's better to take a chance on an up-and-coming coordinator. But, with Vrabel, you get a guy who has had a good chunk of coaching experience.
Not only that, but Vrabel has winning experience. From 2019 to 2021, Vrabel led the Titans to three-straight playoff apperances, with an AFC Championship berth in 2019 where they ultimately lost to the Patrick Mahomes-led Kansas City Chiefs.
While Belichick brings winning experience as well, he has also not had much winning in recent years. He has not proven he can do it without Brady. Vrabel, meanwhile, has operated winning Titans teams who bring physicality on both offense and defense. That's something Patriots fans can relate to and would welcome back next season.
Whatever New England decides to do in the coming years, it certainly seems as though Belichick's time is fading. The contract extension doesn't matter if the Patriots continue losing, and if there continue to be loud whispers about Vrabel being the organization's hand-picked replacement, it might be time to start believing that it could happen.