Vrabel would come back in a heartbeat

[Aßßynormal]

As a Mike , yes. He could play OLB in an injury situation.

 

[pats1]

Too bad I really don't think the Pats want him back.

 

[patsfan-1982]

I'll take some more leadership, please.

you can't be a leader from the side line. that's what the coach is for. if you can't get on the field your just not going to get the same respect from players

 

[AVrabel50Fan]

Personally, I would LOVE to see Vrabel back in a Pats uniform!

 

[Patjew]

I think it could be argued that Vrabel was missed more than any other player last year. The guy was a tremendous leader and someone who could have helped to diffuse the AD issues and get everyone in-lone. Not to mention he could have played ILB and OLB as needed at at least as high a level as Seau and Burgess. And maybe he could have even helped to solve the early red zone problems they had.

 

[emoney_33]

I think it could be argued that Vrabel was missed more than any other player last year. The guy was a tremendous leader and someone who could have helped to diffuse the AD issues and get everyone in-lone. Not to mention he could have played ILB and OLB as needed at at least as high a level as Seau and Burgess. And maybe he could have even helped to solve the early red zone problems they had.

His (good natured) smart remarks to BB might have made Adalius happy, and he probably would have had a bigger impact on shutting the idiot up this season and possibly convincing him to "shutup and play". C'est la vie

 

[BradyFTW!]

As long as it doesn't impede the decision to develop young OLBs, I'd love to see Vrabel come back.

 

[makoute]

You can argue that if he's on our roster right now, he's a starting OLB.

That's a bad thing though.

 

[PatsChamp88]

I just don't see how he's in the plans moving forward possibly a later addition in the season but hmm..

 

[Pessimistic Pete]

Nope, old.

I want to retool this team to be faster, quicker and stronger. Not a nostalgic journey of the glory days with David Patten, Mike Vrabel and Derion Branch.

 

[muzz]

You called him Derion..that'll cost ya extra!

 

[pats1]

His (good natured) smart remarks to BB might have made Adalius happy, and he probably would have had a bigger impact on shutting the idiot up this season and possibly convincing him to "shutup and play". C'est la vie

There could be some truth to this. Vrabel (and Bruschi) were known to have a biting sense of humor.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

Nope, old.

I want to retool this team to be faster, quicker and stronger. Not a nostalgic journey of the glory days with David Patten, Mike Vrabel and Derion Branch.

We're midway through that retooling and last season they were faster and quicker and stronger, but also more inconsistent and less focused and blowing assignments and forgeting how to execute the basics like tackling... Teambuilding is process, and a tougher one if you don't have veteran system leadership. That said, I don't think Vrabel has enough left to start here and too much pride to be a backup. It will be interesting to see what Pioli and Co. do in this regard. If they don't make a concerted effort to re-sign him it will speak volumes about what value they think he has remaining vs. what he thinks.

 

[VJCPatriot]

I'd welcome him back for the vet min, but I don't think he's a starter anymore. He'll probably just resign with KC. They are a young team that needs the leadership. Then again our team on defense has gotten pretty young in 2009 as well. And if we add some key rookies to the defense, say at LB or DL, it's going to get even younger.

 

[Patjew]

Yeah, I've read that Vrabel had a way about him that lets him get away with saying things that others can't.

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

Too bad I really don't think the Pats want him back.

It would help restore your Avatar eh?

 

[dhamz]

Vrabel was a great player here. He not only was always where he was supposed to be, he was a bonafide playmaker in this defense - the kind it currently lacks. You can't overstate how many big plays he made in that 2001-2004 timeframe.

He was let go because he just can't play anymore. He started downhill late in the 2007 season, was a non-factor by the playoffs that year, and by the end of 2008 was a liability.

The Pats haven't replaced what Mike Vrabel was. They won't be any closer to doing that if they bring back what he is now.

While the idea of bringing him back as a deep reserve makes sense on a message board and for nostalgia, all it likely does it leave him where Tedy was - looking at a choice of retirement or being cut by the end of training camp.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

Yeah, I've read that Vrabel had a way about him that lets him get away with saying things that others can't.

Sometimes, not always.

“The thing we’ve said all along, we didn’t opt out (of the current deal). There was no problem from the players’ perspective,” Vrabel said. “(Patriots owner Robert Kraft) uses words like ‘partnership,’ and he throws the money and the dollars around. What we have is not a partnership. If we had a partnership, you would see what we made - they know what we make - and we would see what they made. We don’t have that. So don’t use the word ‘partnership’ or ‘bond’ and all that stuff. We both have to coexist to make this game continue to be the best product in professional sports.”

Vrabel said the two sides are at odds over who should bear certain costs.

“We want to get the owners cost cuts and cost reductions for things that continue to grow the game - stadiums, capital improvements, scoreboards, suites - so when they invest, we want to invest with them. Because then, we all win,” he said. “We don’t want to have to pay to play. We don’t want to pay to (transport) our team, to practice - things they want us to take ownership of. That to me, those are inherent (costs) to owning a sports team. That’s where we differ right now in opinion.”

Vrabel wanted owners to have to include profits from real estate development enterprises like Patriots Place in their revenue stream, his rationale being if it had the team name attached to it the players were entitled to share in the profits (although they didn't share the cost or risk of developing it and if it lost money they wouldn't expect to see their compensation reflect that...).

The owners and players are partners, albeit one is a managing general partner with a lot more on the line than his limited partners who share net profit but not individual liability exposure.

This isn't why he's gone, although it likely tipped their evaluation into the negative leadership column. It is why he would never be brought back. He's not a mere player rep any more, now he's on the freakin' NFLPA executive committee.



Mike Vrabel: Talks one-sided - BostonHerald.com

 

[satz]

Todd haley said at the combine that the major thing he like to learn from vrabel is during the game he comes over and talk about what the offence is doing and its like having a coach on the field.

 

[mgteich]

The question is whether Vrabel would be worth bringing back as the #8 or #9 linebacker on the 2010 patriots roster. We almost always have a #8 or #9 who are specialist on special teams or who can also play other positions.

No, the season doesn't start today, but we need to see what we have so that we follow the offseason as we meet needs.

For me, Vrabel would be fine as a #8 or #9 linebacker. He plays special teams, TE and FB. He also could be an emergency fill-in at OLB.
===================================
As of now, we really have zero OLB's that we can count on for 2010.

ILB's (4)
Mayo, Guyton, McKenzie, Alexander/Williams/draftee/fa

OLB and OLB/DE candidates for (5) rosters spots
Thomas, Ninkovich, Crable, (Woods), (TBC), (Burgess)
plus free agents and draftees
===================================

But no, I do NOT expect this to happen.