Mobile, Ala. – The head coach Mike Vrabel era is off and running in New England, with coaching staff hires and other additions to the Patriots football operations coming to light.
As the focus turns to building the 2025 roster, Coach Vrabel led a large contingent down to Mobile, Alabama, for this year's Senior Bowl, a college All-Star game that showcases some of the top talents in the 2025 NFL Draft. Along with the Pats head coach, EVP of Player Personnel Eliot Wolf and VP of Player Personnel Ryan Cowden are directing the personnel department in Mobile this week.
On Tuesday, New England's top decision-makers spoke to Patriots.com about Coach Vrabel's coaching staff, the scouting process as they adapt to Coach Vrabel's philosophies, and other hot-button topics around the team.
Starting with the two new confirmed additions to the coaching staff, the Patriots announced the hirings of offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and defensive coordinator Terrell Williams, as well as retaining special teams coordinator Jeremy Springer last week. Springer is the only holdover from last year's staff, with Coach Vrabel keeping Springer and veteran assistant Tom Quinn to maintain continuity in the kicking game.
According to Coach Vrabel, the Patriots intentionally struck a "balance" between adding experienced coaches and younger assistants who are on the rise in their coaching careers. One of those up-and-coming coaches who remains on staff is the 35-year-old Springer. As for offensive and defensive coordinator, Vrabel tabbed two veteran coaches, with McDaniels rejoining the team for his third stint. As a leading voice in second-year QB Drake Maye's development, McDaniels's experience and evolving scheme stood out during the interview process.
"There's an experience level that's critical. There's been some growth from the offense over the years, and [McDaniels] has blended that with some of the new trends, but the foundation will remain the same. I'm excited about adding some of those new trends," Coach Vrabel said. "Then, his ability as a play-caller [stands out], having gone against him and seen him work and operate. He has a great vision for leading our offense."
In terms of schematic changes, Coach Vrabel pointed to the fact that Maye's skill set is different from most of the quarterbacks McDaniels has worked with in the past. From this perspective, Maye's mobility could be an added factor that might lead to McDaniels calling more designed QB runs, run-pass options, and moving pockets this time around.
"We're gonna want to do things that maybe they didn't do with the previous quarterbacks here. That was all part of the interview process of what the vision is, things that you've liked from your history, things that you'd like to add, and where we could enhance some of that stuff," said Vrabel.
On the other side of the ball, Williams will coordinate the defense after spending last season in Detroit as the Lions defensive line coach and run-game coordinator. Williams has 27 years of coaching experience, including six seasons with Coach Vrabel in Tennessee as the defensive line coach while adding the assistant head coach title in their final season together with the Titans in 2023. For Coach Vrabel, Williams is a familiar face who can help him get the Patriots defense back on track after finishing 30th in DVOA last season.
"I like to invest in people, and [Williams] is one," Coach Vrabel said of the Patriots new defensive coordinator. "He's a great person, a great coach. He's got a large, wide reach on every player that he's ever been around, and he's made an impact. He was very instrumental in our success in Tennessee. The opportunity to be able to get [Williams] here, I felt like that was important."
The Patriots coordinators are the only hires the team officially announced. New England will announce the rest of Coach Vrabel's staff all at the same time at some point soon. However, the Pats HC did have one message about the types of coaches he's bringing to Foxborough.
"You can trust that the people we're bringing in are great teachers, whether they've got great experience or we believe in a vision for them as a coach. Trying to have that balance. The staff continuity is critical, and I think you start there, and then you figure out what they can do to help you and how they can reach the players," Coach Vrabel explained.
Now that the coaching staff is taking shape, attention quickly turns to upgrading the Patriots roster. Following the college All-Star circuit, the scouting combine is next month in Indianapolis, and then NFL free agency begins on March 12th, with the 2025 NFL Draft in late April.
In the front office, Wolf remains in the same role. However, Cowden has joined the Patriots personnel department. In 2000, Cowden began his scouting career with the Carolina Panthers and eventually found his way to Tennessee, where he initially worked with Coach Vrabel for six seasons. The trio will now work together to rebuild the Patriots.
"We had some conversations this morning with the three of us, and it was what I envisioned it being: our shared vision, but also it brings three different ideas that have been different places and that have looked at it different ways," Coach Vrabel said. "I'm always going to lean to the side of the coach and then the personnel. These guys are more from the personnel standpoint. I enjoyed what we worked on this morning. We had some conversations here through practice, and I think we are all looking forward to getting moving on this roster and building this team."
Wolf is also encouraged by the working relationship between the Pats new decision-making trio, saying, "It's been awesome. We're getting to know each other a little bit. The thing I like about it, it's very focused and intentional. [Coach Vrabel] knows exactly what he wants. He's done it before. He knows ball. He can talk through every position really well. He's already detailed about what he's looking for, so that makes our jobs easier."
Cowden, the team's newest personnel executive, is excited about getting the Patriots back to the winning ways of a six-time Super Bowl champion.
"It's an opportunity to come help build something, help build a program back. Obviously, it's a place that's had a ton of success. It's used to winning, and I just wanted to come and be a part of trying to get back to that," Cowden said. "Coach is going to talk a lot about building a program that we're proud of, that you want to protect, and that's what I want to try and help do, and work alongside Eliot and Coach and the rest of the staff, and just do my part.
"I've had the great opportunity to work with some good coaches, from John Fox to Ron Rivera to Coach Vrabel. To me, it's just an exciting opportunity to try to find that way for me to add value to the club," Cowden continued.
With his previous experience working alongside Coach Vrabel, Cowden described the type of players the Patriots will look for moving forward.
"Everything with Coach Vrabel and what he's going to impart to his staff is about the effort and the finish. It sounds simplistic, but it does make a difference. It's going to be about investing in the players and developing their skills. But everything as it relates to this team and the embodiment of that is going to be starting with the effort and finish," Cowden explained.
With a new head coach, two new coordinators, and a new voice in the personnel department, the Patriots are building toward a more successful future following back-to-back 4-13 campaigns. Although the staff Coach Vrabel is putting together is impressive, the bottom line is that the talent on the field will be the determining factor in the Patriots turning things around.
"We're going to try to use every avenue possible, whether it through scouting or analytical measures. What can help us gain an insight, maybe an advantage, maybe it's something that raises a flag and says, 'Oh, well, let me go look at it that way.' Everything we can do to supplement and add value to our decision-making process, we're going to try to use all those things," Cowden concluded.
As the roster construction begins, New England's football operations are full steam ahead on building the Patriots back into a winner.
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