The New England Patriots, who were once the most unstoppable dynasty in sports, have now fallen to the bottom and struggled ever since the departure of Tom Brady. Since then, the Patriots have been one of the worst teams and offenses and have not been able to get back to the team they once were. However, this year the Patriots have made changes to the coaching staff, the roster, and the culture in hopes of becoming that once-feared team.
A rebuild is a challenging task, but what is important is that a team slowly takes the right steps. Making the right hires, the right signings, the right draft picks, and the right trades all go into what makes a successful rebuild. So, have the Patriots taken the right steps to get back to greatness? That is what Mike Reiss of ESPN was analyzing in his recent article about whether the Patriots are close to returning to their winning ways.
The article starts off by talking about first-round pick Will Campbell when he first entered the building after being drafted. He saw all of the banners and how it was important to him to go to a team with a winning history. Unfortunately for the Patriots, it is nothing more than that; it is just history. It is mentioned that the Patriots are coming off of back-to-back four-win seasons, and that the last two seasons were some of the worst in the team's history, so Robert Kraft and the team had to make major changes.
Kraft took responsibility for rushing Jerod Mayo into a head coaching job, and he fired the first-year head coach and hired well-respected Mike Vrabel. It added two quotes from Kraft about the Mayo hiring and the disappointment of the last two seasons.
"This whole situation is on me." He also took the blame for putting Mayo in an "untenable situation" after just five years of assistant coaching experience. He also added, "I don't like losing. I don't like losing the way we lost. Things were not developing the way we would have liked. It was time to move on." He also added that his goal was to "find a coach who can get us back to the playoffs and hopefully championships."
Reiss then mentions that Vrabel wasted no time in getting to work. He hired 11 assistants who worked for him in Tennessee, he hired former Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and former Bears interim head coach Thomas Brown. He also kept four assistant coaches from Mayo's staff last season.
Vrabel and the rest of his staff would really work together for the first time during the draft, and it was noted that the staff worked very well together and made a lot of tough decisions. In the example of a debate between Patriots second-round pick TreVeyon Henderson and another player, the room was split. The executive vice president of player personnel, Eliot Wolf, said that "I think it was a really good step in the right direction, in our relationship as co-workers, because we have to have productive disagreements for this to work."
This is a good sign from a new coaching staff that is trying to turn a franchise around. They would end up making 11 draft choices and bringing in 16 undrafted free agents for training camp.
There were other big changes made to the Patriots this offseason. Of the 91 players on the team, only 47 of them are returning from last season. One of the biggest newcomers is Milton Williams, the highest-paid player in Patriots history, who was with the Philadelphia Eagles previously.
Vrabel has already started changing the culture by calling out Williams almost immediately in voluntary offseason workouts. There was a quote from Williams in the article that said, "Coach Vrabes called me out in front of everybody, which I like. 'If you're going to be here, you have to set the standard,'" said Williams.
Vrabel is already making a big impact on some of the star players. There was another instance so far this offseason where Vrabel was upset with Williams' lack of effort in conditioning drills. There was another quote from Williams about this instance as well.
May 9, 2025; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel (c) works with players at rookie camp at Gillette Stadium.
May 9, 2025; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel (c) works with players at rookie camp at Gillette Stadium
Eric Canha-Imagn Images
Williams explained, "He was like 'Don't let them catch you. If you can make it [back] faster, make it.' So every rep since then, I've just been trying to make sure I'm the first one back. "I feel like that's going to help me get where I want to be, and the guys running with me, it's going to push them to run even harder."
This was followed by a quote from Vrabel. Vrabel commented, "We're going to be moving. We're going to demand effort and finish. People ask what non-negotiables are. Our effort and our finish are going to be the contract that we make with our teammates. That will be my job to make sure." This falls in line with all the other reports you hear about Vrabel.
Vrabel is trying to go back to the basics, before football skill and IQ, the game is about effort, hard work, and not taking shortcuts. Vrabel wants to instill love and heart into the game before the football talk even gets started.
Another big roster move Vrabel made was letting go of the two longest tenured players on the Patriots. Long snapper Joe Cardona and center David Andrews were both released this offseason, making safety Kyle Dugger, linebacker Anfernee Jennings, and offensive lineman Mike Onwenu the new longest tenured Patriots.
With all these cuts came some additions as well. Milton Williams was already mentioned, but the additions of players like cornerback Carlton Davis, Robert Spillane, Harold Landry, and Khyiris Tonga are all going to play big factors in this upcoming season.
Vrabel found the violent, hard-working, and experienced defensive veterans that he was looking for, but he also had to focus on something even more important. The development of second-year quarterback Drake Maye will make or break the season for the New England Patriots. Not to worry, Reiss mentions that Vrabel did a lot to make sure that the progression of Maye goes as smoothly as possible.
The Patriots signed Stefon Diggs, Mack Hollins, Morgan Moses, and Garrett Bradbury in free agency, and they drafted Kyle Williams, Jared Wilson, Henderson, and first-round pick Campbell in the draft. They also brought in multiple offensive undrafted free agents. The underrated signing of the offseason was Josh Dobbs, although he may not play many snaps for the Patriots, he is a veteran and experienced quarterback who is going to be able to help Drake Maye in whatever he needs.
Both quarterbacks have similar playing styles where they have big arms, they are mobile, and they like to throw into tight windows. Maye has said he wants to work on his on-field skills, but he also wants to be more of a leader off the field. Some players this offseason have even said and noticed the rise in Maye's confidence and leadership abilities.
The article wraps up by reiterating how the Patriots have been able to do nothing right over the last few years. The example of New England winning the last game of the season to lose the number one pick and land at pick four. The point was made that even when they win, they are still losing.
However, all this has seemed to change with the hiring of Vrabel. There have been changes to the roster, the staff, and the amount of hope in the building. The Patriots had one of the best offseasons in the team's history. It is mentioned that a few scouts with ties to the AFC East thought so as well.
They mentioned that the signing of Williams and the return of Christian Barmore could turn New England's terrible pass rush completely around and make them one of the best. The parallel to the Tennessee Titans' defensive line with Jefferey Simmons was made as well.
A lot of parallels were made about Vrabel's Titans teams. The addition of the run game, a strong defensive line, and a lot of effort is always what you can count on from a Vrabel-coached team. This is going to contribute to the improvement of the team.
All in all, it was said that the Patriots did make the right steps to get back to their winning ways. With the coaching, the draft, the free agency signings, and the new life in the building, New England should be a lot better than they were last season. They may not be Super Bowl contenders, but they are a threat to make the playoffs and are another step closer to getting back to championship contention.