FOXBOROUGH - For the first time since holding an uncomfortable press conference just hours before day one of the draft - to announce, no less, that he would be away from the team on day three of those festivities because “my family needs me” - Mike Vrabel took to the podium again in Foxborough and said he has no regrets about that decision or what the team did in his absence.
“No,” Vrabel said, “they moved around, and they made some trades. And, again, this draft was pretty unique. … Excited about the players that we got. Studied most of them. They (the front office) knew my affinity for some of the players that we took. And then, admittedly, I don’t know that I’m going to know the 300th player in every draft. So I was excited.”
Back in April, Vrabel was in the early stages of damage control after the New York Post’s Page Six revealed photos of him and former Athletic insider Dianna Russini. I reported at the time that some of his messaging wasn’t as well received as earlier, but since then, the tide has shifted (which I also reported), and Vrabel appears to have come out on the other side.
“We all have to deal with things outside of here (football). My focus, and obviously the excitement that I have for coaching, is what is most important right now,” he said when I asked how he’s navigated the self-described “distraction” before redirecting the answer toward football. He would repeat that tactic on nearly every question that dealt with the fallout from the Page Six/TMZ revelations, including this exchange with yours truly.
Q: Mike, you lead the room daily. How have you felt the players have responded to your –
MV: Not every day, Mike [Giardi]. Some of your sources probably aren't as good. I don't have a team meeting every single day in the spring.
Q: Almost every day? Close to?
MV: Sometimes. Most of the time.
Q: Regardless, you're in front of the room. How have you felt the players have responded to your leadership because it was such a critical point last year? What’s your feeling?
MV: I don't want to speak for the players (me interjecting: not asking you too). I feel great. I feel like I'm trying to give them the information that is going to help them do their job. I've talked about this as far as the importance of the balance between their own success, which leads to great things for them and the people that they care about, but then also trying to manage that with the team. That's a fine balance of the dynamic that we wage in this business of professional sports. I try to do that each day.
I will tell you that exchange was the closest we’ve come to seeing Vrabel’s true personality since this story surfaced. But we’ve also now witnessed a number of interactions with his players and coaching staff - dating back to rookie mini-camp - where the 50-year-old is presenting the same as he did last season, darting from one drill to the next and being invested both vocally and physically.
Today, for instance, Vrabel was hands-on with, among others, Christian Barmore. There, he was acting as an offensive lineman and showing Barmore how he wanted the player to counter hand placement.
That energy, attitude and leadership were huge reasons for this team’s success last year, and more and more players are confirming that guy has been out in full force. Milton Williams was the latest.
"Same guy, talking shit, getting guys ready to roll,” he said today with a smile.
Back in April, Vrabel said there was a possibility he might miss football activities down the line and didn’t squash that notion today - “who knows what’s going to come up?” He also addressed how he’s been navigating family and football, a topic he'd previously raised as important in light of what had happened.
“Really good,” Vrabel said. “I appreciate my family. I love Jen (his wife), I love the boys, I love my personal friends…”
He then drifted into a full-on football filibuster. Barring any new, unexpected information or Russini speaking (if? when?), the book may be closed on this part of the story.
MAYE REMEMBERS
Count Drake Maye among those still carrying the Super Bowl loss to Seattle close to his heart, especially knowing the Pats will be in the building for week one as the Seahawks raised their championship banner.
"I think it's a chance for us to get some extra motivation in training camp," Maye said. "...A chance to get an opponent that left a bad taste in our mouth. It's something that's going to really make us work."
Maye did the difficult thing, sitting down to rewatch the loss and review his own uneven performance.
“I’m at such a young point in my career where I can still learn so much,” he explained. “First time playing that defense, so you can learn things about the game. So I think there's definitely some parts… some throws that I maybe skipped, but now I want to watch that again. I think you learn so much from just the mistakes that you make yourself.”
Maye didn’t make too many during his second year in the league, and first in the Josh McDaniels system. The possibility for growth may not be as great as it was from his rookie season to last, but there’s a level of comfort and familiarity and ownership for Maye in this offense that, quite frankly, should excite you. I know, from conversations I’ve had with people in the building, they feel that way.
“Trying to take it to the next level with the details, and details inside each play,” Maye said following Wednesday’s practice. “It’s fun having new guys in the offense, and me trying to teach them what I know about it, and what I think is best for us to execute. That’s what’s fun.”