PATRIOTS HEAD COACH MIKE VRABEL
PRESS CONFERENCE
August 1, 2025
Q: Two high-profile players have made trade requests from their teams, one being Terry McLaurin, the other being Micah Parsons. Should their respective teams honor those trade requests (inaudible)?
MV: Karen [Guregian], I'm not going to comment on players that are under contract on other teams. Let's focus on the ones that are here that we're working with. I mean, we see all these things happen in the National Football League, whether it's the offseason, whether it's before the season starts. So, everybody's working with different situations, so those respective players and respective teams will focus on their situations, and we'll focus on ours.
Q: You guys do still have the most amount of salary cap space in the league. Just how do you view that level of flexibility at this stage in the season?
MV: If something were to present itself that we would be able to do some things, so, right now we're focused on the roster that we have. I think we tried to be as close to the plan as we could, going through free agency and how we wanted to allocate it over the next two years, counting this year and next year when we look at the cap going out over two years.
Q: You've spent a lot of time in the last few weeks watching the one-on-ones between the offensive line and the defensive line. Understanding that each player is in different stages of their (inaudible), how much of that is about winning the rep versus maybe trying something new?
MV: Well, and I tried to touch on this before, and I think those are great opportunities to practice and to work on things. Then does it translate to the team periods? I think those are the ones that are critical. I think that there's the ability to find the quarterback as he moves around in the pocket or he climbs the pocket. So, there's all different ways to be able to evaluate the one-on-ones, but you certainly want to have great technique. You want to be sound in what you're doing. Stay inside out as an offensive lineman. You want to be able to pressure edges and reduce surface area as a defensive lineman and bend in corners. So, we take all those reps seriously, but that is an opportunity to work on some things and some different sets, right? We have different sets based on different plays that we're running offensively. So, those are all things that go into it.
Q: When you think about the final 53-man roster, how does players' special teams' contributions play into those final decisions, and is there anything in your eyes that players can specifically do on special teams during training camp to kind of help earn their spot?
MV: Well, I think that the kickoff, when you talk about special teams, it's going to be the kickoff and the kickoff return are going to be critical phases this year with the rule change. So, who can protect on a kickoff return? Who can return a kickoff and help us create field position? There's just not going to be a ton of touchbacks, I would imagine, in certain situations. But who can do that on those phases without fouling or creating a penalty is going to be something to look at. We know how critical the punt team is and special teams in general. Guys that can return, guys that have the ability to go and block a punt is a unique skill. And I think that all our players in those positions that are tight end, linebacker, outside linebacker, some receivers, running backs, safeties, they all know the importance of special teams. You have to kind of strike a good balance between those premium special teams players, maybe some players that you want to develop at a position, they may be a backup, and where they're at on special teams.
Q: How do you approach tonight's in-stadium practice and what's the goal for the 90 minutes?
MV: So just real quick, out for tonight, Mack Hollins, Gonzo (Christian Gonzalez), [Carlton] Davis [III], [Keion] White, [Vederian] Lowe, [Garrett] Bradbury, [Antonio] Gibson, [Jahlani] Tavai, [Joshua] Farmer, and Sidy [Sow]. So, those players won't be participating in tonight's deal. Real quick, just so I probably nip this in the bud here, the blue team's head coach is Zak Kuhr. Offensive coordinator will be Josh McDaniels. The white team's head coach is Thomas Brown and offensive coordinator. Terrell Williams will be the defensive coordinator on the white team. Blue captains are Drake [Maye], Christian Elliss, and Jaylinn Hawkins. The white captains, Hunter Henry, Jabrill Peppers, and Brenden Schooler. So, we'll try to approach it as close to a game as we can. We have special teams. We'll punt the football. We'll punt return. We'll have returners back there. We'll have a couple full field covers. We'll have some plus-50. We'll have some different kicking situations. And then just see where, you know, put the ball, move it. We have officials. So, there's things that I need to try to create and may extend drives with a phantom illegal contact or roughing the passer that probably, hopefully, didn't happen in tonight's practice. But, I've already told the team those are things that may happen so that we can continue to get whatever we need to get done, get some red zone, get some end of game, two minute, and really just have fun. We had a draft. Those coaches drafted. There was a coin flip. And I'll let you figure out who won the coin flip and go from there. So, the players are excited. We split the coaches up. And me and Stretch (John Streicher) are the only ones that are impartial. Everybody else is going against each other.
Q: Is part of tonight also about getting the coaches some reps too, in case whatever — next man up kind of thing?
MV: Trying to have fun, and certainly any chance you have to call a game or be a play caller. Our practices, a lot of them aren't scripted anyway. So, we do that as well throughout the preseason, throughout training camp and do that.
Q: Have you done this before, this setup?
MV: Yeah. The players like it. We'll see some trick plays. So, we'll see what works and if we can carry through the season. Both sides were drawing it up. I gave them two trick plays each that they'll come up with that we haven't run thus far in camp.
Q: How were the captains decided?
MV: I let the coaches pick. I let Zak [Kuhr] and Thomas [Brown] pick who they thought based on them being the head coach for tonight.
Q: Mike, if it's a mixed bag, some people might look at the offensive line, and obviously those guys might not work with each other every single day. But from a coaching standpoint, when you're evaluating, how important can these nights be when you're watching an individual player?
MV: Right. Who can communicate, who can work with somebody that maybe they didn't work with in previous practices. Not sure how many lineups stay the same throughout the course of a 17-game schedule. So, I think this is a great opportunity for these guys to have fun, to compete, to have some energy, to do it in our stadium. This is all new for everybody here. Pre-game opportunity to go out and go through that operation before we play Washington and just want to be intentional but also want to have fun and let these guys go and play and have the officials here. So, I think it'll be a – I'm hoping for a good night.
Q: Jared Wilson's been your top left guard in the past couple practices. I'm curious, is it too early to say if he's won that competition? What has he done to earn that spot?
MV: Well, no, I don't think it's – and nothing's set in stone with the roster or the lineup — but certainly want to give Jared the opportunity that he's deserved, which I think is to be out there with the ones in the last couple days and going forward into next week. I think we talked about the players that don't participate in practice but have the ability to stay engaged with the installation and stay up with the installation, and he did that through the spring. He wasn't able to be out there physically, but was able to learn all the interior line positions and then really got off to a good start here in training camp. So, try to tell the team that, take advantage of your opportunities and you get more opportunity.
Q: Mike, so far it seems like you spend most of your time with the offense. For instance, you're on the scout team against the offense. Just wondering the reasoning for that. Is that consistent with what you did in Tennessee?
MV: I think it's probably a way for me to continue to learn this system so that I can coach it and be an asset, I think, and try to help just as we install. I'm very familiar with what we're doing defensively and then try to give a defensive perspective to what we're doing offensively. I try to get around as much as possible. I think that group period just gives me a chance to kind of see how things are running. The defense may have other things that they're doing and adjustments, but that's kind of what I've done, I would say, in the past. I think that's probably consistent. But I do try to get them to be everywhere and to see every position or talk to every position. That may change, but, I mean, I think it's probably consistent.
Q: Going back to Jared Wilson, [you have] Jared at left guard, Will [Campbell] at left tackle, two rookies on one side. I'm sure it has happened in the league before out of necessity, and sometimes maybe those are the two best guys. But what has given you the insight into thinking that these two guys can handle that as two first-year NFL players?
MV: They've earned the right to be out there. Whether they're 20 years old or 40, I don't – I mean, that doesn't – we look at whether they can play and whether they've earned a right to be out there, and I think that those two have right now.
Q: How have you seen Ben Brown kind of rise to the opportunity of that "next man up" mentality?
MV: I think he's an improved player. I think that he came mid-season here and had to play and did a decent job, and I think he put the work in, and I think that these padded practices, I've seen him improve. And so, again, you're excited for those players that have improved through the spring and that were here in the spring or whatever and came to training camp ready to go. And quickly, I think once the pads came on, I think Ben kind of settled. It was good to see him kind of just settle down and really noticing, which is good for a center.
Q: Coach, what do you like about Truman Jones? He was here last year, obviously, but just he seems like he's taking advantage of some opportunities.
MV: Yeah, he was an off-season award winner and worked extremely hard. Knows both spots, outside linebacker. He's improved, I think, special teams. I think his special teams has improved. Looking forward to seeing that tonight, hopefully, and see some of that stuff tonight. But he's a smart player and who I think physically has changed his body and is on par with what those outside linebackers look like.
Q: Mike, just to follow up on Karen's question from earlier, I hope this question's not too theoretical, but how much urgency do you feel to win this year? Obviously, you want to build a team for years to come, but would you be willing to part with, again, this is sort of theoretical, a high pick?
MV: We can talk about a million different things. Let's just focus on — we should feel the urgency to win every day that we come to work. But let that be the focus of your question. You guys are in a competitive field. Somebody breaks a scoop, or you got this story or that story. It's the same thing. We should want to win every single day. In the National Football League, expectations are high, and they should be, rightfully so. So, we're going to prepare a football team like that, and we're going to try each and every week to put a plan in front of them that they believe in and that we believe is going to be the best way for us to win the game and then have the ability to, if that one isn't any good, to adjust as quickly as possible.
Q: A number of guys, specifically on their side of the ball, have talked about the chemistry that's developed between [Christian] Barmore and Milton [Williams]. What have you seen from those two guys as a combination package so far?
MV: That's all we're trying to do, is bring guys together that are going to be working closely with each other, that are lining up next to each other, that communicate, that spend a lot of time together. We feel like that connection is something that is going to help us through some of those bumps in the road that occur in every NFL season, and I'm excited to where their growth is and when we get them out there at the same time and they continue to grow and develop and their connection off the field that will lead to very positive results for us on the field.
Q: Mike, obviously you've rotated a lot in practice as you do in training camp, but in terms of reps tonight, was that up to each respective head coach or how were those decisions made?
MV: Well, there are certain decisions that I still get to be in charge of tonight, so that was controlled by me. Some will do more than others, but just want to have a good time and get certain things accomplished and looked at and put on film. So, it will try to be similar. Each team will kind of get the same amount of snaps at the same amount of areas most likely. And I think the scoring will be, like I told the team, you want to complain about the scoring, talk to Stretch. He's doing the scorekeeping, so any score-related issues, talk to Stretch. Thanks, guys.
