A bold prediction for former Titans head coach Mike Vrabel's new job with the New England Patriots and quarterback Drake Maye

Former Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel's new job as the head coach of the New England Patriots will also come with a new set of challenges. 

Unlike when Vrabel got the job in Tennessee, New England is in need of a massive face lift to both the roster and the culture of the organization. The "Patriot way" doesn't seem to be as prevalent as it was during the Belichick/Brady dynasty., I'm sure Vrabel will be looking to revive that

When the Titans hired Vrabel, they were handing him a team that went 9-7 and won a playoff game the year prior. Derrick Henry, Kevin Byard, Taylor Lewan, Ben Jones and a handful of other key contributors to the 2018 team were already in place when Vrabel took over for Mike Mularkey.

Having immediate success with the Patriots is going to be a much bigger challenge. But I'm willing to go out on a limb and make a bold prediction: Mike Vrabel will have more success with the Patriots than he did with the Titans. The Patriots will play in a Super Bowl with Vrabel as the head coach. 

Patriots path to contention

I'm aware that most of you reading this probably won't agree with those statements. As I just laid out, the Patriots do not have the same level of talent that Tennessee did when Vrabel first took that job. The AFC is also more loaded now than ever before.  Between Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow, and Josh Allen, it's hard to see how any other team is making the leap to Super Bowl contention. 

But the Patriots already have some key pieces in place. Drake Maye looked incredibly promising during his rookie season. Now it's about surrounding him with enough talent and hoping he elevates the players around him. 

New England needs to work on the offensive line, defensive front, and would benefit from adding a few reliable offensive playmakers. Luckily, they have the 4th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft which could easily net them one of Abdul Carter or Travis Hunter (provided the two quarterbacks perform well in pre-draft workouts). That will be massive. 

The Patriots also have an NFL best $112 million in effective cap space. That's more cap space than they'll even be able to spend in one offseason. It gives New England the ability to be the most active team in free agency and trades with a lot of talented offensive linemen and wide receivers on the open market. I don't think the Pats are as far away as people might think from competing again.

At the end of the day, I also just believe in Vrabel. He always got the most out of his teams in Nashville. He's a proven leader than can stabilize the culture in New England and hopefully get the defense performing at an elite level again. He walks into that Patriots locker room and is immediately respected for the coach that he was in Tennessee and the legendary player that he was in Foxborough. 

Vrabel's issue with the Titans was replacing offensive coordinators Matt LaFleur and Arthur Smith while trying to maintain a high-powered offense. But if Drake Maye is as good as I think he is, then Vrabel already has a better quarterback than he ever had in Tennessee. That should raise the floor of the offense significantly. Buy Mike Vrabel and Patriots stock now. You'll thank me when they're playing in a Super Bowl.