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DeMario Douglas believes Patriots’ culture is ‘different here’ under Mike Vrabel
"We’ve got a head coach that’s on the field with us, man. It’s different."
The 2025 Patriots still have a long way to go in its plans of reestablishing the franchise as a legitimate contender in the NFL.
But even with just a few weeks of offseason workouts — and two OTA practices — now in the books, Patriots wide receiver DeMario Douglas believes that New England is buying into the message and expectations set down by new head coach Mike Vrabel.
“The culture’s different here,” Douglas said after Tuesday’s OTA practice at Gillette Stadium. “I love it. Vrabel’s a players’ coach, and he’s on the field with us. We’ve got a head coach that’s on the field with us, man. It’s different. You can tell he’s very in tune to what we’re doing and wants us to be better.”
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“We love when the head coach is on the field and he knows both sides,” he added. “He knows what’s going on on offense and what’s going on on defense, and what needs to be done. That’s how I know he’s in tune with us. He’s making sure that we’re all on one accord and we’re all doing what we need to do.”
While some of the optimism rooted in New England’s upcoming season revolves around offseason additions on the sideline and in the locker room like Vrabel, Stefon Diggs, Milton Williams, and Will Campbell, Douglas believes that the Patriots’ returning core is also ready to start stacking wins.
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“The guys who’ve been here — it’s a different mentality,” Douglas said. “I feel like everybody’s working super hard, and I feel like they’re tired of losing too. And you can see — we were working out, man, we’re competing. We’re competing in workouts. In conditioning drills, we’re competing. That’s rare to see.”
Despite the promise showcased by Drake Maye during his rookie season, New England’s receiver corps left a lot to be desired in 2024.
Douglas finished with the most receiving yards among wide receivers last year with 621, while Kayshon Boutte’s 117 receiving yards in the team’s season finale against the Bills was the first time a Patriots wideout recorded 100-plus yards in a game since Kendrick Bourne in Week 16 of the 2022 NFL season.
But with Maye’s continued development, the return of Josh McDaniels as the team’s offensive coordinator, and the addition of both established vets like Diggs and rookies like Kyle Williams, Douglas believes the Patriots’ offense as a whole is ready to take a major step forward.
“I think it’s gonna be lovely,” Douglas said of New England’s offense under McDaniels this season. “We’re just with our first two installs, so once we open up that book — it’s gonna be crazy. So the defense has got something on us right now. But once we open that book, it’s gonna become something good.”
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Even though Douglas stressed that both he and the returning regulars within New England’s receiver room have a chip on their shoulder in 2025, that sentiment won’t hold any weight if they don’t prove it out on the field.
“If you’re trying to prove something — I feel like you’re going to get caught up with trying to prove something,” Douglas said. “So I feel like, man, just compete. As we compete, we’re gonna do better.
“I feel like — just get open. You get open, the ball’s gonna come your way. Even if it doesn’t come your way, I mean, it’s gonna show up on film that you’re getting open. And other people can see. And on film, it’s gonna show.”
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