Mike Vrabel came out of the Patriots’ roster-cut weekend with a few big talking points on his plate, and he addressed them Monday morning on WEEI’s “The Greg Hill Show”: the pain of trimming the roster, the decision to keep Drake Maye and other starters out of preseason action, and the latest on Christian Gonzalez.
New England had to get down to 53 players by Sunday evening as the league moves toward the regular season, and Vrabel made clear that the process is never easy on the people getting the news.
“It’s always difficult. You spend a lot of time with them, you try to coach them, and build a relationship with them,” Vrabel said of player cuts. “Some of these guys will get an opportunity on our team, they’ll get an opportunity on somebody’s else’s team, and then for some of them that will be the last bit of professional football that they play.
“We try to be as respectful as we possibly can and be upfront with the player and what it was that they maybe can improve on, or how we can help them move forward.”
The Patriots entered the regular-season ramp-up with several depth questions still hanging around, and one of the biggest preseason storylines was Vrabel’s decision not to use Maye and other top players in live action. Asked whether that was the plan from the start or something that developed during camp, he didn’t offer much detail.
“It was just a decision that we felt like was best for the football team,” he replied.
That led to the obvious follow-up: does sitting those players create any concern about rust once the games count?
“There could be rust, there could be rain or shine, I’m not really sure,” Vrabel responded, half jokingly. “But we’ll just have to prepare really well and go out there and continue to work.
He also brushed aside the idea that preseason snaps are a perfect dress rehearsal for what’s coming next.
“Let’s be real: Nothing that we do in the preseason’s going to prepare us for the first game in Seattle,” said Vrabel, “whether it’s the crowd noise in Cleveland or you know… we’ll have to be really ready to go out there in that environment.”
Vrabel was then asked about Christian Gonzalez, but not before taking a playful shot at the wording of the question. When WEEI producer Chris Curtis referred to Vrabel as a “great player,” he pushed back with a laugh.
“I was not a great player,” Vrabel laughed.
“I was a good player on a great team,” he corrected. “I’ve said this numerous times.”
As for Gonzalez, the Patriots cornerback is still in the middle of a contract situation that has reportedly left the two sides far apart. Vrabel didn’t have any new update.
“I don’t have anything new to add with Christian,” Vrabel said of the matter. “Whatever the events over the weekend or whatever happened over the weekend or didn’t happen over the weekend or what’s gonna happen today moving forward, I don’t think I have anything new to update you on.”
When asked whether Gonzalez should be expected for Week 1, Vrabel stayed broad and firm about his standard for the roster.
“I expect him to be there today and I’m going to focus on today,” Vrabel said.
“I expect every healthy player to play and practice for our football team. That’s my expectation as a head coach.”
In Other News...
Patriots Rookie Earned A Roster Spot In A Way Nobody Expected
Quintayvious Hutchins found himself in a very modern kind of NFL moment this week, staying on the New England Patriots 53-man roster after the cutdown deadline and learning about it the same way plenty of fans did. The rookie outside linebacker had put together a solid training camp and preseason, and that work helped him stick as one of four outside linebackers on the roster.
What made the moment stand out was the route it took to reach him. Instead of a direct call or message from the team, Hutchins discovered he had made the Patriots through a social media post, a reminder of how abrupt and impersonal roster day can be even for players who did enough to survive it. For a rookie trying to carve out a role, the news was positive, but the way it arrived added an unexpected twist to an already tense process. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Pass Rush Problem Could Revive One Trade Possibility
Harold Landry III being unavailable to open the season has left the Patriots with a clear pass-rush hole, and that kind of need tends to keep front-office phones busy once the league settles in. One name that has lingered in the conversation is Josh Sweat of the Cardinals, a player New England has been tied to before and one whose fit would make sense for a defense looking for more pressure off the edge.
Arizona, though, is not currently planning to move him, which is the part that keeps this from being a simple fit-and-forget scenario. Dan Graziano has noted that the picture could change if the Cardinals drift out of contention, and if that happens the Patriots would be one of the teams worth watching before the trade deadline as they weigh whether to finally address a problem that has been visible since September. [Read more 🡒]
Mike Vrabel Is At The Center Of A Serious Patriots Media Controversy
The Athletics internal review into Dianna Russinis relationship with Mike Vrabel has put an uncomfortable spotlight on how closely NFL reporting and team access can overlap. The investigation centered on whether the former reporters connection to the Patriots head coach affected her coverage, and it concluded that the relationship ran afoul of the outlets standards because it was not disclosed, even though investigators did not find clear evidence that her reporting was biased.
Russini resigned while the review was still underway, leaving the episode to linger as much about newsroom process as about one reporter or one coach. The Athletic also said it would recommend editorial policy changes meant to guard against similar conflicts in the future, a reminder that for a franchise like the Patriots, the questions surrounding Vrabels circle can travel well beyond the field. [Read more 🡒]