There’s been no pre-draft press conference from Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel while he’s ensnared in off-field rumors, but New England brass say there’s nothing out of the ordinary down in Foxborough as the team prepares for the biggest weekend of the spring.
“Very involved,” Executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf said Monday, when asked about Vrabel’s participation. “Business as usual. He’s been in there with us, this round of meetings, probably a little bit more than he was last year. The coaching staff, he’s – this is me putting words in his mouth – probably more comfortable just from where things stand from that standpoint.
“But he’s been in there. He’s been contributing. He’s watched a ton of the players. I think he tries to watch every player that we give each position coach, he tries to watch the whole, what we call, ‘the coach’s list.’ He has an opinion on these guys. It’s helpful.”
Vrabel hasn’t met with the media to preview the draft – a departure from last spring.
His name has been in headlines over the last week following the New York Post publishing photos that appear to show him at an Arizona resort with Athletic NFL reporter Dianna Russini. According to the Post, Vrabel and Russini both denied any untoward interaction.
“These photos show a completely innocent interaction and any suggestion otherwise is laughable. This doesn’t deserve any further response,” Vrabel said, in the Post’s account.
On Saturday, the New York Times – who acquired The Athletic in 2022 – announced the company was investigating the conduct of Russini, with her reporting put on ice in the meantime.
“The Athletic’s editorial guidelines require that their journalists avoid any activities that pose a conflict of interest or the appearance of a conflict, so as not to call into question their credibility,” the Times shared, in the story.
Vrabel was never scheduled to meet with the media, even before the Post published the photos.
Wolf said the Patriots intend to use all 30 pre-draft visits the league allows, and that Vrabel is often on-site when they want him to meet a particular young player.
“If it’s a guy we like that doesn’t have a lot of red flags, we’re like, Mike’s going to love this guy,” Wolf said.
The Draft begins April 23, and will be held in Pittsburgh.
