- 1 week ago
Mike Vrabel live at Gillette Stadium! Drake Maye rust? Christian Gonzalez update?
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00:00Morning, Coach.
00:01Morning.
00:01How are you?
00:02I'm great.
00:03They're pumping that Creed here to get us into this segment.
00:05Yes, sir.
00:06Yes, sir.
00:06Shime's favorite band.
00:07Loves them.
00:08I don't know how you feel about them.
00:10I don't know that I've ever asked you your three favorite artists.
00:13I don't think Creed would be in the top three.
00:15Not in there.
00:16Close.
00:16I mean, I'll listen to it.
00:18Yeah.
00:19Beyonce?
00:21Not in the top three.
00:22No.
00:23You got one for us?
00:24No.
00:25Not right now.
00:25Okay.
00:26There you go.
00:27Here we go.
00:28Okay.
00:29Roster down to 53.
00:31I'm sure there are tough decisions involved in that.
00:34You've been doing it for a while now as a head coach, but is it still difficult when you have
00:38to sit and talk to guys about that?
00:40I mean, these are guys that most of them either we brought in after the draft or we brought in
00:44as free agents when the offseason program started.
00:48And, you know, it's always difficult.
00:50You spend a lot of time with them.
00:51You try to coach them.
00:53Bless you.
00:53And you try to coach them and build a relationship with them.
00:59And, you know, some of these guys will get an opportunity on our team.
01:03They'll get an opportunity on somebody else's team.
01:04And then for some of them, you know, that'll be the last bit of professional football that they play.
01:10So there's a few different phases, and it's always difficult.
01:12We try to be as respectful as we possibly can and try to be up front with the player and
01:20what it was that they maybe can improve on or how we can help them moving forward.
01:25Mike, when you look at, you know, you're a couple days away, eight, nine days away from the opener.
01:31When you look at the Seattle Seahawks, obviously a team that you played in the Super Bowl, this familiarity with
01:37them.
01:37What are some of the things that you kind of go into this game knowing, all right, here's what we
01:42need to do well to come out with a W, seeing that you just played them, you know, several months
01:47ago?
01:47Well, the teams will be a little bit different, but they're good up front.
01:51We'll have to block them better.
01:52We'll have to, you know, be able to stand up at the line of scrimmage, be able to stop the
01:58run.
01:59We're going to have to get some turnovers.
02:00We always say that, but, you know, that was really the thing.
02:03We did a decent job in the last time we played them, and I'm not sure how the game will
02:06go this time or the flow of the game.
02:08But we forced them to kick field goals, and we couldn't – I was hoping for that one turnover that
02:13could give us an opportunity to score a touchdown, but we never got that.
02:19So, you know, hopefully we can do enough defensively to be able to create some turnovers, and, you know, we'll
02:25have to stay balanced offensively so it just doesn't turn into a drop-back passing game.
02:30We talked to you a lot about the wide receivers and who you've got there, but we haven't really touched
02:35on the running backs with you yet.
02:37But how do you feel like Ramondre and Travion have returned from the offseason, and what does the addition of
02:42Corey do for them?
02:43Well, I mean, I like that group.
02:45I've liked what Ramondre and Travion did for us last year to kind of figure out where those guys were,
02:51and they both hit, you know, a lot of really big plays for us, and I thought that their consistency
02:56down the stretch was good.
02:59You know, Corey was somebody that we liked last year that we wanted to try to acquire last year, and
03:05he went somewhere else, and, you know,
03:07he had a really good preseason, so, you know, we just felt like, you know, that was a good addition
03:11to have, and, you know, we'll see, you know,
03:14we'll get him in here today, and we'll get working with him.
03:16Mike, was it the plan all along when you guys arrived in July to not have Drake take a single
03:21snap in the preseason,
03:22or did things happen that led you to that conclusion?
03:26No, it was just a decision that we felt like was best for the football team.
03:30Is there any concern that he may have some rust as you guys start the season Wednesday night?
03:36You know, I mean, there could be rust.
03:38There could be rain or shine.
03:40I'm not really sure, but, you know, we'll have to just prepare really well and go out there and continue
03:47to work.
03:48But when we get out there, let's be real, nothing that we do in the preseason is going to prepare
03:54us for the first game in Seattle.
03:55I mean, whether it's the crowd noise in Cleveland or, you know, we'll have to be really ready to go
04:05out there in that environment.
04:07Mike, when you look at Drake May and you look at kind of his evolution as a quarterback,
04:13and I'm strictly talking on the field, you know, understanding the offense, knowing the, you know, the reasoning behind play
04:20calls,
04:20are you going to feel like here's a guy that is going to have some ability to have a little
04:25bit more freedom
04:25when it comes to making some changes at the line of scrimmage?
04:29What have you seen from him with that type of process?
04:33I mean, he did that a little bit during the joint practices.
04:36And, you know, I think him and Josh have a great relationship.
04:40And we always want him to get us into the best play, but we don't want to be too cute.
04:44And, you know, second guess yourself.
04:47These guys are going to disguise on the other side.
04:49So, you know, be confident in what we're doing.
04:52And if there's something that you don't like, you know, have the ability to get us into something
04:57that's probably a more advantageous look.
05:01But, again, don't want to be too cute where they're disguising and now we don't really know
05:05and we're not committed and then now the line's not committed.
05:08And, you know, I just don't think that that's a great way to go about it.
05:12You bring up Josh McDaniels.
05:14We talked to Devin McCourty a few weeks ago at the Jimmy Fund about what it's like having an offensive
05:19coordinator for Drake
05:20come back for a second year.
05:23He said that now Drake is not just going to know the what when it comes to play calling, but
05:27the why.
05:28Would you agree with that, that the relationship between Drake and Josh now brings it to,
05:32he knows why they're doing certain things, not just what they're doing?
05:35I don't know.
05:36Devin must be a better defensive player than I was because I didn't know what the offensive coaches were coaching
05:43him.
05:44So, I guess if that's what he says, that's great.
05:47I don't know.
05:48But do you feel like the relationship between Josh and Drake going into this season,
05:51Drake's learning more than just what the play is going to be called, but why Josh is deciding to go
05:56with that?
05:57I think that's an interesting thing that Devin brought up for us.
05:59I mean, I think that they spend a lot of time together.
06:03Josh is really, you know, communicates really well with Drake and, you know, Tommy and Barron.
06:10But I also think Drake is able to process a lot of that information.
06:14I really do.
06:15I think that he is, he has the ability to mentally understand and they meet and go through things.
06:23And, you know, to some of Wiggy's points, it's gotten to the point where, you know, we had to say,
06:29Drake, you have to tell us the things you really, really like and some of the ones that maybe you
06:32don't like.
06:33That's okay.
06:34You're not going to like every single thing on here or every single play or, you know,
06:38so guys have plays that they may like a little more than others.
06:43And, you know, we had to force him to say, hey, you can't like every single one on here.
06:48So you have to be like, okay, these are my favorite, you know.
06:51And so he's gotten more comfortable in doing that.
06:55I don't want to hurt anybody's feelings.
06:57When you start to look at your team, one of the areas that you guys, I felt, were pretty good
07:03last year,
07:03early in the season was the ability to get after the quarterback, especially with your front line,
07:08your defensive, your edge guys.
07:10When you start to look at where you ended up at the end of the season and heading into this
07:15year,
07:15what do you feel like you need to see from those guys, especially the edge position as far as maybe,
07:20you know,
07:21whether it's about sacks, pressures, do you feel like you need more from those guys this year
07:25when it comes to getting after the quarterback and third down or just passing situations?
07:31Or we'll need more from everybody, not just one particular unit.
07:36How hard is it for you, a guy that was a great player who negotiated with us?
07:41I was not a great player.
07:43You were a great player.
07:44No, I was not.
07:45I promise you.
07:47Technically sound.
07:48I was a good player on a great team.
07:49I've said this numerous times.
07:51All right.
07:52Well, I watched you as a fan.
07:53I thought you did a great job.
07:54I appreciate that.
07:56You were someone that negotiated with this organization many times.
08:00You were traded by this organization.
08:02Now you're in a role where you're leading it as someone in the management and head coach position.
08:08How do you separate yourself from knowing what's best for your team is to have Christian Gonzalez on the field
08:13and what's best for the organization may not be to just give everybody everything they ask?
08:18How do you balance those two?
08:19Well, I think that that's just part of the job of that one role that I have is making sure
08:25that, you know, there's a separation.
08:27You know, we've talked about the personal side, the professional side, and try not to let those two conflict with
08:38each other.
08:38And so I try to communicate with all the players.
08:42I try to coach them.
08:43I try to get to know them.
08:44And I don't know that it really necessarily – I guess I don't think about it.
08:49I just have to go about, you know, navigating my job and what I feel like is best for each
08:56guy here as they come in to how we get them ready to prepare to play and ultimately win.
09:02There's reporting over the weekend that there's talks still ongoing with the organization and Christian.
09:07Are you apprised of those in real time?
09:11Are you leading those – are you the one having those talks?
09:13I would say that I'm not – I don't have anything new to add with Christian.
09:18I don't think that that's, you know, whatever the events over the weekend or whatever happened over the weekend or
09:25didn't happen over the weekend or what's going to happen today moving forward.
09:29You know, I don't think that I have anything new to update you on.
09:32Do you expect him to play week one?
09:33So, again, I'm going to expect him to be there today, and I'm going to focus on today.
09:38And I'm going to – like I tell everybody, I think that I expect every healthy player to play and
09:46to practice for our football team.
09:48Like, that's my expectation as a head coach.
09:50I meet with Jim.
09:51I meet with Frank.
09:52We put a lot of work into that every day to figure out what each guy needs, and here's what
09:57their practice plan is.
09:59So, you know, we're just – I'm excited to get these guys back in here today, start moving towards Seattle
10:04and, you know, some of the processes and some of the, you know, drills and the conditioning and the things
10:10that we need to do today after a couple days off.
10:12Are you ever, you know, torn because being on that side of a – as a former player and, you
10:20know, you look at a situation and maybe you go, you know, I've been there before, but now I'm on
10:25the other side.
10:25It's like – is there ever like a tug of war with your emotions knowing like what guys are actually
10:31fighting for that are playing that you were there on those front lines and now you have to kind of
10:36like, you know, have that tug and pull when you come down to this?
10:40Well, I mean, I think that that's a really good perspective.
10:43I think something that is a strength of mine is that I've pretty much been in every one of those
10:49seats throughout, you know, a playing career or a coaching career when I look at our staff.
10:57But I don't know – I mean, I try to have empathy for everybody as it relates to their situation,
11:06whether it's an injury that they're dealing with, whether it's something else.
11:12You know, I try to listen to them, talk to them, and, you know, so I think that that's just
11:16– it's unique that I've had the ability to be around other players.
11:21I've played, I've been drafted, I've been traded, I've been a free agent, I've been, you know, a guy trying
11:31to do everything to make it a 53-man cut that's somebody that was expected to produce, you know, to
11:36the aging veteran.
11:39So I think that just gives me a little bit of unique –
11:42I don't know about that, but it's certainly –
11:44No, but you know –
11:44It's something that I try to apply to each guy.
11:50Like you can – and that's the unique thing.
11:52You can put yourself in every position.
11:54And there are not many, you know, coaches that can say that.
11:57And, like, when I say you're a superpower, it's like that's something that you have intimate knowledge of.
12:03And so that's why I ask, is it an emotional tug sometimes?
12:08Again, I think that there's a lot of emotion in this game.
12:11It's a high-energy, high-paced game that's, you know, competitive.
12:16So, you know, the emotions are always going to be there.
12:18I try to listen to them, and I try to understand what their perspective is and, you know, try to
12:25listen with the intent to understand sometimes and not to reply.
12:29On listening, has anybody called and asked to trade for Christian Gonzalez?
12:35I have nothing to add new about Christian Gonzalez.
12:38I am excited to see him today, and that's what I'm looking forward to.
12:43I'll try in a different way.
12:45Like, knowing what he's looking for seems fair to you?
12:50I have nothing new to add on Christian.
12:54All right.
12:54If he were, you're very much into that world.
12:57Who is?
12:58What world?
12:58The superhero world.
13:01He loves Marvel.
13:02What would you compare him to superhero-wise?
13:06Which superhero?
13:07Mike Vrabel?
13:08Yeah.
13:08Easy?
13:09Yeah, I was going to go Iron Man.
13:11Oh.
13:12Who were you going to go?
13:13Hulk.
13:14Okay, Courtney.
13:15What?
13:17You're a married woman.
13:18That's nothing like that.
13:20Hulk is, because he's so nice, and then all of a sudden, like, something sometimes will
13:25switch, and it's like the green.
13:27Yeah.
13:28That's where I would go.
13:29Yeah, I went Iron Man, because he's always trying to figure out a way.
13:34There's a, we were kind of talking about this a little bit off air, and I know it's very
13:38difficult to, when you have to cut guys, and, you know, we've been on that side.
13:42And now with the addition of more guys to the practice squad, is it generally younger
13:48guys, or do you have, like, a healthy balance of sometimes we put some veterans on there
13:53as well?
13:54You know, I think that that's, and we were laughing, and it was like five or six guys
13:58back, you know, back in the olden days.
14:01Yeah.
14:02But it is a, you know, you have a group of guys that you want to develop to see what
14:07they can potentially do.
14:08I was a developmental player.
14:09You were a developmental player.
14:11And then there's probably another little group that says, hey, this is your first guy
14:16in.
14:17And they've played NFL games.
14:20You know, we asked them all to prepare as starters, but, you know, there'll probably
14:24be some veteran guys that, you know, if you needed to, you could elevate quickly.
14:30And, you know, they're the first guy in, so to speak.
14:3553, 54, 55, 56 guy on your roster.
14:39Okay.
14:39You talk about emotions when it comes to this game.
14:42It was interesting how honest you were about the Kayshawn Booty trade and how you still
14:47talk to him, thank him for everything.
14:49Was he understanding about why he ended up where he did and what went into the decision
14:54there?
14:57Well, I mean, I think I don't want to speak for Kayshawn.
15:00I can just speak on the relationship and how he worked here and what he ultimately wanted.
15:08And, you know, I think it was just best for everybody that, you know, we make a trade and
15:14try to, you know, just move on from the situation, but also, you know, hopefully help him and
15:21help us in return.
15:23And so, again, the professionalism in which he operated and functioned at and his ability
15:30to be ready to go, can't say enough positive things about Kayshawn.
15:34Would you say your second camp here was more smooth than your first?
15:38How would you rate what you guys just finished up?
15:41You know, you now have the roster, you have your team ready, you're entering your second
15:44season as head coach of the Patriots.
15:45Where would you say you are today versus a year ago at the same time?
15:50I mean, I appreciate the question.
15:52I just, I don't really compare what the first one was to, you know, to the second one and
15:59won't compare the second one to the third one.
16:01And I just, we just try to take with what it gives us each day and then figure out what
16:06we need to do to, to help the football team.
16:08And based on injuries, practice plans, schedule, I mean, maybe communication with the staff and
16:15with Elliot and Ryan and stretch.
16:19And, you know, I think maybe just that may have been just improved overall, just because
16:25everybody has been around each other for, you know, longer period of time.
16:3041 out of the 53 guys you've got on this roster right now are your guys, if I can put
16:34that
16:34into quotes.
16:35When you look at...
16:36I don't know what that means, but...
16:37Well, guys that you've acquired, traded for, drafted, like they've all come under you.
16:41Last season, I felt like it was a storyline that you made a concerted effort to get your
16:47guys in here.
16:48Did you feel like that?
16:50Yeah, I mean, I saw that somewhere where somebody said, like, there's nobody's guys.
16:55They're all of our guys.
16:56We're trying to get the best players, the best people that can help us win.
17:01And if, you know, if Pete Carroll drafted them here, Bill Parcells drafted them here, Bill
17:08Belichick, I mean, it's just, we're really just trying to get the best guys and find the
17:14ones that can help us win.
17:15That's, that's the only goal.
17:18Well, we will let you go and get started on that today.
17:21And if you're out of here, it's great to see you.
17:23We'll talk to you.
17:24Welcome back.
17:24We'll talk to you one more time before our season gets underway.
17:27It's coming quick.
17:28Thank you guys.
17:28Thank you for the blueberries.
17:30All right.
17:30Yeah.
17:30Take the blueberries with you.
17:31Those are, those are on the house.
17:33I get some shots back.
17:34Question.
17:34Oh yeah.
17:35What happened to our shots?
17:37Oh yeah.
17:38Okay.
17:39All right.
17:39Sorry about that.
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