Mike Vrabel has put the sour taste of the 2020s Patriots and the brief Jerod Mayo era behind everyone. How did he achieve this so fast? Support the franchise quarterback with the proper support staff, draft wisely on offense and have a “my way or the highway” approach to the players and culture in the locker room. That final part could spell out why Keion White and Kyle Dugger were both reportedly traded by the Patriots for day three picks. “Interesting day in New England,” Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald wrote in an X post. “Patriots extend Marcus Jones for three years then trade Keion White and Kyle Dugger. Mike Vrabel and this staff are embracing players from the previous regime who fit the new scheme and culture and aren’t afraid to move on from those who don’t.” Interesting day in New England.Patriots extend Marcus Jones for three years then trade Keion White and Kyle Dugger.Mike Vrabel and this staff are embracing players from the previous regime who fit the new scheme and culture and aren't afraid to move on from those who don't.— Doug Kyed (@DougKyed) October 28, 2025 As Kyed explained, Vrabel is embracing players who fit his offensive and defensive schemes and culture. Emphasis on culture. Story continues below advertisement Sure, Dugger wasn’t a scheme fit for Zach Kuhr’s defense, but he’s a damn good football player. The same can be said for Keion White. But the two players never seemed to click with his culture, which we know from day one was a mindset of “respect the team and I’ll respect you.” Story continues below advertisement Maybe their commitment wasn’t up to par with what Vrabel wanted. Maybe behind the scenes, they weren’t the most cultural. Because you can say scheme fit matters all you want, the Patriots just traded away two good players whom you find a way to make fit. So, the continued washing away of Bill Belichick’s drafted players must point to a lack of cultural fit. With the Patriots at 6-2 and with the two-seed in the AFC, who can question how Vrabel’s approach has worked so far?