FOXBORO - Mike Vrabel has seen enough specialist turnover to know what stability can look like.
During his time running the Tennessee Titans, the kicking operation rarely stayed the same from one year to the next. Vrabel pointed to that history again Monday in his press conference before training camp, noting that the issue often started with missed field goals. Since 2019, no Vrabel-coached team has kept the same specialist trio intact.
That could be changing in New England.
As the Patriots head toward 2026, they are set to bring back kicker Andy Borregales, punter Bryce Baringer and long snapper Julian Ashby - the same group that handled the job all last season. The Patriots did work through a few rookie punters during spring competition, but for now, this looks like the unit that will open the fall with the defending AFC champs.
Vrabel made it clear that continuity matters, but so does execution.
"We cannot take those guys for granted, and the reason when they do their job, you never hear about them," Vrabel said.
Borregales is entering his second season after the Patriots selected him in the sixth round in 2025. The Miami product admitted he got off to a "shaky" start, but he settled in and finished strong. He made 27 field goals and scored 134 points, the most by any rookie kicker in franchise history.
Even with no direct competition lined up this summer, Borregales is not treating anything as secure.
"I say that it's me versus me, no matter who I'm actually going against because at the end of the day, I have to be the best version of myself," Borregales said, comparing it to golf. "Maybe I'm the only kicker, but technically I haven't made the team yet, so it's really just proving it to myself and the team that I'm worthy of being their kicker."
Vrabel said Borregales earned trust with the way he handled last season’s pressure.
"It is important that we make all our field goals, and it is important that we are able to change field position and get the ball off," Vrabel said. "You have to protect for those guys. But obviously, having Andy make the type of big kicks that he made last year, we felt very comfortable having him back."
Borregales and Ashby were both drafted last year, and they now work alongside Baringer, one of the few remaining holdovers from the Bill Belichick era. Baringer is in a contract year, which puts his future in New England in play, but Vrabel sounded bullish on what he brings.
"Bryce is such a calming peace for Andy and does a nice job," Vrabel said. "Really, we want our punters to be great holders and excellent at plus-50 punts.
If we punt, we want them to be plus-50. That means we are moving the football and giving me a decision whether we are going to go for it on fourth down or we are going to punt."
For Borregales, having the same group back has made the transition into a new year much smoother.
"It feels great," Borregales said about the continuity. "I mean, we came back into it, and it was like nothing changed.
It definitely helps because that chemistry, and like we're all on the same page no matter what. It definitely helps coming into a new year, so (I'm) excited for it."
Still, he knows the job is never handed over just because the depth chart looks settled. Borregales said he leans on mental visualization and daily focus to keep himself sharp, and he believes his relationship with Vrabel is part of that comfort level.
"At the end of the day, I gotta do my job, and my job is to make my kicks," Borregales said. "But I have a great relationship with Vrabes, and that obviously plays into the confidence I get into on game day."
In Other News...
Patriots Camp Just Sent A Troubling Message About The Receiver Battle
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For a receiver group trying to establish itself under Mike Vrabels staff, the timing matters. The Patriots have been busy with fan events, practice sessions and a round of press conferences from Vrabel and team executives, yet the more revealing news has come in the personnel churn around the bottom of the roster. Adding Prentice gives the group another young name to watch, and the fact that New England felt the need to keep adjusting the board this early suggests the competition at receiver is already getting tighter than anyone would prefer. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Camp Just Dropped An Early Roster Clue Fans Will Obsess Over
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At receiver, Kyle Williams and Efton Chism III continue to rotate in the fight for what appears to be the next depth opening behind the established top options. The tight end group is also worth watching, with Tanner Arkin getting meaningful reps as the Patriots sort through the fallout from Julian Hills season-ending injury and try to settle on who can handle the next layer of the depth chart. [Read more 🡒]
Romeo Doubs Is Already Facing Pressure In Patriots Camp
Romeo Doubs arrived in New England with a chance to carve out a real role, but the early returns in camp have been uneven. Through offseason workouts and the first two training camp practices, the receiver has looked like he is still getting comfortable in Josh McDaniels offense, with route adjustments and the timing of reads still a work in progress as he tries to settle in alongside Drake Maye.
The bigger issue for Doubs is that the competition around him is not standing still. DeMario Douglas has been handling the slot work, Kayshon Boutte has looked ahead of him on the boundary, and the Patriots have not even reached padded practices yet, which means the pace is only going to pick up from here. With preseason games approaching, Doubs has time to close the gap, but he also has to show he can turn a slow start into something more convincing before the depth chart hardens. [Read more 🡒]