Don’t bother talking to New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel about the year before he arrived.
He doesn’t want to hear about it, and he made that clear during the Forged in Foxborough series with the Patriots. New England went 4-13 for a second-straight season before he returned to Foxborough as the team’s third head coach in three seasons. The Patriots cratered under longtime former head coach Bill Belichick in 2023, and the Patriots didn’t get any better with former head coach Jerod Mayo in 2024.
“Why … would I care about what happened last year?” Vrabel said during the May 16 video. “I’m worried about what’s going to go right today and tomorrow and the next day. We’re not worried about what went wrong. We’re focused on what’s going to go right.”
How the Patriots Are Making Things ‘Go Right’
GettyThe Patriots look to build with second-year quarterback Drake Maye in 2025.
New England has made efforts to make things go right this offseason amid a rebuild around second-year quarterback Drake Maye. The Patriots signed star wide receiver Stefon Diggs in free agency and also signed offensive linemen Garrett Bradbury and Morgan Moses. That’s just offense, which was 31st for total yards and 29th for points per game.
On defense, the Patriots added defensive lineman Milton Williams in free agency. The Patriots also signed linebackers Harold Landry and Robert Spillane plus cornerback Carlton Davis III. The defense needed a serious upgrade after finishing 32nd for sacks and 28th in the takeaway versus turnovers department.
New England also added 11 players in the draft, which started with former LSU offensive lineman Will Campbell. The Patriots improved the backfield with former Ohio State running back TreVeyon Henderson followed by wide receiver Kyle Williams, center Jared Wilson, and safety Craig Woodson to name a few.
Vrabel also made significant coaching staff changes, which included the return of offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels after two years away. New defensive coordinator Terrell Williams comes over to New England after a successful stint with the Detroit Lions and prior run with the Tennessee Titans under Vrabel.
Mike Vrabel: ‘We’re Building Our Own Identity’
New England needed an overhaul after back-to-back seasons in the AFC East basement for the first time since 2000. Vrabel, who played linebacker for three Patriots Super Bowl championship teams, wants to get the franchise back to the winning ways of 2001 to 2019. The Patriots won 17 AFC East titles during that span in addition to six Super Bowls amid a 232-72 record, but the “Patriot Way” has seemed like a thing of the past in the 2020s.
“We’re building our own identity, OK?” Vrabel said. “The overriding goal for the program that we’re going to build is going to be to win the division.”
That won’t come easy as the Buffalo Bills have been kings of the AFC East since 2002 amid five-straight titles. The Miami Dolphins have a talented roster around quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, and the New York Jets are retooling under new head coach Aaron Glenn. Buffalo and Miami likewise have made improvements to their rosters this offseason around veteran quarterbacks Josh Allen and Tagovailoa respectively.
