Morning Sports Update

Mike Vrabel joked about ‘comical’ assessment of Patriots offseason

Vrabel also shared his thoughts about the upcoming NFL Draft, and some of the top prospects.

Mike Vrabel
Mike Vrabel during a press conference on Monday, March 31. Lynne Sladky / AP

By Hayden Bird

5 minutes to read

Mike Vrabel sounds off on Patriots’ offseason: The Mike Vrabel era as Patriots head coach is only a few months old, but things are arguably already looking up for New England.

Free agent signings have been made — already in a more aggressive approach than a year ago — and the draft looms as the team tries to make the biggest impact it can while holding the fourth overall pick.

Speaking to reporters at the NFL owners’ meetings on Monday morning, Vrabel was asked by MassLive’s Karen Guregian if he thinks the team is already closer to being successful.

“We won March, amazing,” Vrabel quipped with a smile, “which is something that’s comical, right? We’re never just trying to ‘win March.’ We want to just try to be ready when the season goes, and it’s a long process.”

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“I’m never happy,” Vrabel added jokingly when questioned about how he sees the progress in the team’s plan to build a better roster. He eventually settled on a more measured response.

“Sometimes,” he acknowledged of his own happiness with the offseason. “Yes, I think that what we’ve done has been exciting. It’s been fun to come to work. There’s an energy in the building which I am proud of, that when I hear that from people around the building that maybe have been there, that makes me happy. That everybody is excited, and there’s an energy about coming to work, and ultimately trying to help the players.”

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On the upcoming draft (which begins April 24), Vrabel kept things in a wide focus, noting that New England could use the pick or trade it.

“I think we’d be open to everything that we felt like could help the football thing.”

Vrabel also shared thoughts on draft prospects.

“I think they’re great, young, talented players that have great film,” he said of offensive tackles Will Campbell and Armand Membou (seen as two of the best in the 2025 draft).

Does he see Campbell — who has been the subject of a bizarre but very NFL-specific controversy regarding his arm length — as a player capable of starting at tackle?

“I think you have to,” Vrabel explained. “I don’t understand how you could watch him play in the SEC, which is the best conference in college football, against guys who are going to get drafted, at that position. So I don’t think you have to project it. You could just actually watch and say there’s the snaps at left tackle, evaluate it, and see what you think.”

Another option for the Patriots could be Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter, who played both wide receiver and cornerback at Colorado in college.

While Vrabel couldn’t help but laugh at being compared to Hunter (having played in goal-line situations for the Patriots, catching multiple Super Bowl touchdowns), he grappled with the possibility of a two-way NFL player.

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“I don’t know how anybody could say how hard it could be. We’ve never seen a player necessarily do it,” Vrabel said of playing in multiple phases of the game as a starter. “I think there are some things that he could improve on by probably concentrating just on one position. But I’m never going to put any restrictions on Travis or any one player.”

Eventually, he acknowledged that it might be a good idea for a rookie to keep one job in focus.

“I think that to improve, I think there has to be a primary focus just to be able to get some of the details that are going to be required in this league,” said Vrabel. “So we’ll see once everybody’s on our football where they end up playing or where they end up starting out and practicing.”

With less than month to go before the draft, it still seems like there’s plenty of mystery surrounding what the Patriots will do.

Queried by Boston Globe reporter Nicole Yang about if he has a clearer notion of what might happen with the top three picks (all ahead of New England), Vrabel kept his sense of humor.

“Nope. Do you have any idea?” he replied. “You tell me who goes one, two, and three, and I’ll tell you who goes four.”

Trivia: The Patriots opened Super Bowl XXXVI with three linebackers in a 4-3 alignment. Mike Vrabel started on the left. Tedy Bruschi started in the middle. Can you name the player who started the game for New England at right outside linebacker?

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(Answer at the bottom.)

Hint: A 1992 second-round pick out of UCLA, he played most of his career with the Rams. He also played for the Jets in the 1999 and 2000 seasons before signing in New England (where he won three Super Bowls in four years).

Scores and schedules:

The Red Sox lost to the Rangers 3-2 on Sunday, with Boston dropping three of four in the season-opening series in Texas. Boston will face the Orioles in Baltimore this afternoon at 2:35 p.m.

Tonight, the Celtics play the Grizzlies in Memphis at 7:30 p.m.

Also tonight, the UConn women’s basketball team faces USC in the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament at 9 p.m.

Tomorrow, the Bruins host the Capitals at TD Garden at 7 p.m.

More from Boston.com:

Back in the Frozen Four: Boston University men’s hockey advanced to its 25th Frozen Four in school history with an overtime win. The Terriers will play Penn State on April 10 at 8:30 p.m. on ESPN 2.

On this day: In 1978, Rick Pitino got his start as a college basketball head coach. Having previously served as interim head coach at Hawaii, the former UMass point guard was given the full-time gig at Boston University. He would lead BU to a 91–51 record in four seasons, culminating with an NCAA Tournament appearance in 1983.

Rick Pitino BU

Daily highlight: Virginia Tech pulled off a triple play on Saturday amid a weekend sweep of Stanford.

Trivia answer: Roman Phifer

Hayden Bird

Sports Staff

Hayden Bird is a sports staff writer for Boston.com, where he has worked since 2016. He covers all things sports in New England.

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