FOXBOROUGH — Kevin Byard knows Mike Vrabel as well as any player on the Patriots roster. They spent six seasons together in Tennessee, during which time the safety became a building block for some very good Titans football teams.
The two reunited this offseason, with the Pats inking the soon-to-be 33-year-old to a one-year deal worth up to $9 million. Byard has been a constant at the voluntary workouts this spring. What has he noticed in his former, now current, head coach?
“Same old guy, honestly, same guy that I recognize from being back in Tennessee,” he told me. “A guy that is full of energy, coaching the entire team, running back and forth, from offense, defense, special teams. I don't see a difference whatsoever.”
Byard is not unaware of what has been going on with Vrabel away from the field. None of these guys are. But I’m told, much like Drake Maye, the veteran has been a calming presence and someone who has done a good job of spreading the gospel of Vrabel to teammates who are either learning the coach for the first time or were less than enthralled with the conversations Vrabel had to have with them regarding the Russini ‘situation.’
A big thing that I noticed during rookie mini-camp this past weekend was how much energy Vrabel brought to the field, noting it was very much the same old Vrabel that we observed a season ago. It has been more difficult for him to find that balance behind closed doors; however, it has become more evident to people in the building, slowly but surely. And the on-field stuff? Well, let’s just say it wasn’t just a show for gathered media on Saturday.
“I think he's just very consistent with his coaching style,” said Byard. “Even today, they're doing, like, some special teams punt drills. He's the loudest voice on the field, you know what I mean?
“Just coaching the guys, making sure guys' technique is good, but at the same time still praising them when they do very well. It's not like he's just MFing guys, or nothing like that. And then obviously, as we get into our competition stuff at the end, pushing sleds, he's out there front and center, yelling and things like that. So no, it's definitely the same guy that I recognize since Tennessee.”
Romeo Doubs is one of those newer faces the Pats brought in this offseason. His impression of Vrabel?
"I love him,” he smiled. “Very energetic dude. Players coach...it's rare that you get a head coach who was a player in this league and worked his way through the ropes to be a really solid coach...I'm just really blessed to be around him."
From this perspective, the more the team is together and works toward week one, the better this should get for Vrabel, barring any new information. Because, at the end of the day, the players rely on the coaches to put them in the best possible position to succeed. So, between Vrabel’s magic touch a season ago and that reputation as a players’ coach, plus an experienced coaching staff, that’s what will matter the most to the roster.
Both publicly and privately, it appears the 50-year-old is getting back into the flow and reestablishing or rebuilding trust. Of course, it helps to have Maye, Byard and other embracing Vrabel.
Meanwhile, both Byard and Doubs also addressed the slow but seemingly inevitable march toward an AJ Brown acquisition in early June. Byard has had an up-close and personal relationship with Brown dating back to their days in Nashville as star players for the Titans. That relationship has continued, with the pair being workout buddies.
"Honestly, I try to stay out of that part of the business, because when you talk about contracts or players moving teams and things like that, I want to be as hands off as possible," Byard said. "We honestly haven't talked about it directly. I don't know what the situation is there. I hope it can work out. I hope you can