FOXBOROUGH – It's hard to miss Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel during open practices this spring. As the team continued OTA practices on Wednesday, the presence of Vrabel—equal parts teacher, motivator, and hands-on leader—was unmistakable.

"I enjoy it. I like it. I love it," Vrabel said about his active coaching style. "I try to be as knowledgeable at every position as I possibly can. And where the head coach is, that's probably what the players think is important. So, I try to be a little bit everywhere."

Vrabel's passion for development is personal and direct—whether he's working with quarterbacks, rushing linebackers, or dropping back with the defensive backs. His impact has already been felt by veterans like safety Jabrill Peppers, who first met Vrabel while he was in high school on a recruiting visit to Ohio State.

"I didn't know he used to play a little tight end, back when Brady was here," Peppers recalled, grinning. "He told me to line up—I thought he was a linebacker. He routed me up, caught the ball. That was one of the first things he said when he got here."

Now back under Vrabel's guidance, Peppers is embracing his coach's energy and message.

"I think he knows how to get the best out of his players, and I definitely think everyone has bought in," Peppers said.

2024 was almost entirely a lost year for Peppers but now, under Vrabel, the veteran safety is back where he belongs and looking to put it all together in 2025.

"I just try to be the same guy every day," said Peppers. "I love this game. It's a big passion for me. Lead by example, do what the coaches ask. So the young guys have something to follow—and keep the standard the standard."

That standard is becoming clearer through the intensity of spring work. Vrabel acknowledged that this time of year can be tricky, especially for young players like quarterback Drake Maye, who had some growing pains in last week's session.

Maye was better on Wednesday at avoiding turnovers, but the throw of the day went to veteran Josh Dobbs, who lobbed an arcing downfield throw to rookie Kyle Williams. Williams adjusted to the ball and came away with an impressive catch that brought cheers from the sidelines.

Through two OTA practices, positive signs of improvement are apparent across the roster.

"I care about every player's performance and that we continue to improve," Vrabel said. "Everybody's going to have a bad day. The command, the operation, all those things have continued to improve. Hopefully…we have a better day [in front of the media] today."

The tone has certainly reached the defense, where the revamped linebacker corps is starting to mesh. Veterans Robert Spillane and Christian Elliss are already developing chemistry—on and off the field.

"Spill's a lot of fun. He's so wise, he's funny, he's intense—and he's my guy," Elliss said before taking inventory of the defense's strides overall. "We're figuring it out. Every day there's a new mistake, which is a good thing as long as we aren't repeat offenders. Everyone's flying to the ball."

For Spillane, the 2024 Raiders captain with a blue-collar mindset, this is the environment he thrives in—and the kind of leadership Vrabel embodies. Spillane's intensity from the moment he runs onto the practice field is a window into how the formerly undrafted player rose to new heights.

"He's very transparent, intense, straight to the point," Spillane said of his head coach. "All you want as a player is clarity. It's who he is, so he doesn't have to fake it. He gets to be his true self every single day."

Spillane is applying those same principles as he helps mentor a young linebacker group.

"I tell the guys that aren't starters to train as starters," Spillane said. "They don't expect undrafted guys to make it in this league. But that's my story—and I'm going to stay true and help other guys reach their dream too."

In Vrabel's view, those relationships—between players, coaches, and roles—are what this spring is all about.

"This process of playing this game is about building relationships and connections with players and coaches alike," Vrabel said. "The ability to work with another player out on the field…that's important."

Even with the pads still off and the intensity carefully managed, Vrabel is finding ways to push the tempo and demand urgency.

"I like to see guys running off the field, coming out on the field, breaking the huddle, lining up, having an urgency with which we practice," he said. "All those things, hopefully, will lead to better execution."

For now, it's a work in progress. But there's no mistaking whose team this is—and whose voice is leading the way.

"He needs to stop wearing my number," Peppers joked of Vrabel, whose penchant for wearing practice jerseys and hopping into team drills is becoming an every-practice occurrence. "I told him he wasn't tough enough for it."

If these first four OTAs are any indication, Vrabel's toughness—and his style—are already rubbing off.

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