Cool Link The Athletic: Inside Mike Vrabel’s year off: His season with the Browns and what he wants next

[Headcase]

Inside Mike Vrabel’s year off: His season with the Browns and what he wants next

The former Titans coach spent the 2024 season preparing for his next opportunity.

www.nytimes.com

 

[Headcase]

And for you pirates

 

[Headcase]

Great article, some onsite to what Vrabel did away from coaching, what other people inside the league think about him, and what he brings to the table.

 

[jdlboot14]

This makes you want him as Pats HC even more!
As I said last week - his year with the Browns may be more helpful than we realize. Working directly with Stefanski and the OL will only increase his understanding of offense. And perhaps allow continuity with AVP staying with the offense in some capacity, even if not OC.
Make it happen tomorrow Kraft!

 

[mgcolby]

Does anyone have any insight on who he might bring with him as a DC, assuming he is the next HC? I can't find anything on the defensive side, obviously Bowman is the one guy that is linked to him and is now available. But I doubt he goes there personally. On the OC side the grumblings about McDaniels, but I doubt that. I think he ends up with Bill personally. And then Reese. But I am guessing he is either open to an interview process or is playing his cards close to the vest.

 

[PatsFan2]

This makes you want him as Pats HC even more!
As I said last week - his year with the Browns may be more helpful than we realize. Working directly with Stefanski and the OL will only increase his understanding of offense. And perhaps allow continuity with AVP staying with the offense in some capacity, even if not OC.
Make it happen tomorrow Kraft!

Can you stop saying that name.

 

[Ray Ray 717]

This makes you want him as Pats HC even more!
As I said last week - his year with the Browns may be more helpful than we realize. Working directly with Stefanski and the OL will only increase his understanding of offense. And perhaps allow continuity with AVP staying with the offense in some capacity, even if not OC.
Make it happen tomorrow Kraft!

Or we could simply hire the BEST offensive mind in the NFL (Ben Johnson) to transform, rejuvenate, and enliven our appalling & porous offense.

 

[Real fan 02]

Can you stop saying that name.

Covington got offered an interview before AVP and he developed maye day... Unreal

 

[Real fan 02]

Or we could simply hire the BEST offensive mind in the NFL (Ben Johnson) to transform, rejuvenate, and enliven our appalling & porous offense.

RR.. I love the idea of Ben Johnson... as your right he is one of the best OCs in the game... I'd ask though... look at Detroits offense then look at ours...

 

[Real fan 02]

Does anyone have any insight on who he might bring with him as a DC, assuming he is the next HC? I can't find anything on the defensive side, obviously Bowman is the one guy that is linked to him and is now available. But I doubt he goes there personally. On the OC side the grumblings about McDaniels, but I doubt that. I think he ends up with Bill personally. And then Reese. But I am guessing he is either open to an interview process or is playing his cards close to the vest.

I've tried to find information on who Vrabel may bring with him as DC? I can't find anything. I wonder how his relationship with Antonio pierce is.. he could be an option at DC or Mike wilks...McDaniels as OC is intriguing.. haven't heard much from McDaniels camp.

 

[Steve102]

Good article. worth the read. Thanks for posting.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Great article.

 

[mike_usagisan]

Oh man, this sounds familiar.

Every week Vrabel identified three keys to victory, emphasizing specific statistical targets (for instance: turnover differential, total rushing attempts or points allowed) depending on the opponent. Jones estimated that if the Titans hit their three keys, they won 90 percent of the time.

 

[Real fan 02]

Good article. worth the read. Thanks for posting.

Seems like Vrabel really has made sure his next HC opportunity he is even better prepared for. .. really good read especially for us as fans. I have to commend Ownership for understanding they miscalculated with Mayo and realizing that Vrabel is the guy. Bedard mentioned is a 90% chance he ends up in NE.

 

[mike_usagisan]

And this:

Said cornerback Caleb Farley, a Titans first-round pick in 2021: “Something coach Vrabes taught me was it doesn’t matter what car you pull in on Sundays. It just matters if you’re gonna hit somebody in their mouth. Football is a grown man’s business. It’s a nasty business. There’s no room to be sensitive.”

 

[Real fan 02]

Oh man, this sounds familiar.

Absolutely love it! I so undervalued this. I really hope Vrabel becomes our next HC.. going through the Ja-rod Rust season aged us all.

 

[turkeyneck]

And this: Football is a grown man’s business. It’s a nasty business. There’s no room to be sensitive.”

I vote that this replace THE MURAL...

 

[mike_usagisan]

I vote that this replace THE MURAL...

It's interesting because the story also talks about how Vrabel helped one player, celebrating his small victories, like losing weight or doing some skill right. I think Vrabel is one of those guys who knows how to toe the line between being tough but that different people are motivated in different ways.

 

[irishfanatic]

And for you pirates

Thanks for posting, super read and interesting insights.

 

[mgcolby]

First, I have to admit this article gave me a bit of a chubby and borderline a full on Johnson! My own biases I will layout: Vrabel is one of, if not my favorite all time Patriot. Just loved his story and his seizing the moment and running with it never looking back. Always admired that about him. I am also not against a first time guy like Johnson, I am not a risk adverse person by nature, but I definitely am leaning Vrabel or an experienced guy.

But this article was awesome and shows a person willing to grow and learn. Open minded to other ways or new ways of doing things and then figuring out how to combine those into a vision. This excerpt truly got me excited and is the reason why I think many people in the league are high on him. It also shows why getting a guy who had experience, saw some success and some failure who has had time to reflect on all of that while continuing to move forward.

"Browns GM Andrew Berry viewed it as a unique opportunity to bring in someone of Vrabel’s stature to enhance their player-development program while helping in other areas; Berry and Stefanski put on the full-court press to recruit him. Vrabel didn’t have a relationship with either man outside of interactions at league meetings — which actually made it more appealing. It was an opportunity to spend the year learning from an analytically minded organization that does things a little differently from what he was used to, and a chance to stay in the NFL and keep an eye on how other teams around the league (especially the ones with potential job openings) were going about their business. Add in that he’d be returning to Northeast Ohio, where he grew up, and the fit was right."

And then this:

"Vrabel has spent the past year really considering what he wants out of his next head-coaching job, the kind of coach he wants to be, and what he wants out of the organization that hires him. His season away helped to crystalize his priorities. As always, he broke it down into three keys: Ownership, collaboration, quarterback.
“There’s got to be clear communication with ownership, so that we understand as coaches what the expectations are,” Vrabel said. “That’s so we can explain to them what’s reasonable, what we can do, what we probably can do and what we’re going to try to do — or die trying. I want to have a structure in place that people see the game the same way I do from an X’s and O’s standpoint, from a personnel standpoint, with team-building. We would hopefully have that alignment, which is critical.
“And I would like to be able to say that there’s a quarterback that you feel like you can win with — or that there’s a path to find the one that you can win with.”