Mike Vrabel had plenty to sort through after the Patriots trimmed their roster to 53 players over the weekend, and on Monday morning he used a WEEI appearance to touch on three of the biggest talking points around the team: the pain of cuts, the decision to keep Drake Maye and other starters out of preseason action, and the ongoing situation with Christian Gonzalez.
The Patriots reached the NFL’s league-mandated deadline by Sunday evening, but even with the roster set for now, Vrabel made clear the work is far from over. New England still has depth questions in a number of spots as it heads toward its regular-season opener in Seattle on Sept. 9.
On the subject of cuts, Vrabel didn’t sugarcoat how hard that part of the job can be.
“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.”
Another major Patriots storyline this summer was the absence of Maye and several other top players from live preseason snaps. Asked whether that had always been the plan, Vrabel didn’t offer a detailed explanation.
“It was just a decision that we felt like was best for the football team,” he replied.
When the conversation turned to whether that approach could leave the team a little rusty in Week 1, Vrabel answered with a bit of humor before turning serious.
“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.
“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 also fielded questions about Gonzalez, though not before pushing back on the wording of one question from WEEI producer Chris Curtis.
“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.”
Eventually, he got to the heart of the Gonzalez discussion. The 24-year-old cornerback is seeking a major new deal, and the sides have reportedly remained far apart. Vrabel didn’t offer any fresh 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.”
Asked whether Gonzalez would be around for Week 1, Vrabel stayed broad but firm about his expectations.
“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.”
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