Vrabel tells it like it is about the Pats drafting

[PatsFan2]

I mean, this is how it is. If you make that trade then you're gaining Parsons (an elite player in his mid 20s) but losing two first round picks, a current starter on defense like Keion White or maybe even Christian Barmore, and also the cash that it takes to extend Parson which was record-setting.

So by trading for him, you are losing two first round level talents, a currently good player, and hits to your cap that could have otherwise signed several additional veteran players. The Pats aren't good enough yet to trade potentially 6+ starting level players just for 1 guy.

I'm hoping Barmore plays like a poor man's Chris Jones: that would help our Pass Rush mightily.

 

[Real fan 02]

Agreed, we should round out the roster a little more before we do a parsons type splash. Its not a one year fix

https://atozsports.com/nfl/new-england-patriots-news/mike-vrabel-micah-parsons-patriots-trade-2025/

 

[Real fan 02]

He’s not lying. I’m ok with not getting Parsons if this is his thinking…but I hope Coach backs up those words.

Also tells me the league has noticed how terrible GM Bill and to a lesser extent Wolf were with the drafts in recent years, not just us fans.

Was listening to 98.5 on the weekend show with cerrone battle who's a upcoming guy BTW at that station.. Dallas was the 31st ranked defense with Micah last year. The way this team is currently constructed is how Vrabel sees fit to build towards next season and beyond. The draft feels like it's been successful as you have at least 3 guys starting or playing starting caliber snaps. As usual spot on sb1.

 

[Real fan 02]

I'm hoping Barmore plays like a poor man's Chris Jones: that would help our Pass Rush mightily.

I always said Barmore ceiling is similar to Chris Jones.. Barmore, Tonga and Williams can collapse the pocket.

 

[Ross12]

I'm hoping Barmore plays like a poor man's Chris Jones: that would help our Pass Rush mightily.

It is clear to me that Vrabel wants the interior DL to be a force... Williams and Barmore will be a great combo, but Tonga also looks good, they drafted Farmer who has a shot to be pretty good, and they have Gregory who's pretty strong, AND Pharms on the 53 too, PLUS Ritzee, Olajiga and Lovett developing on the PS. He's spending lots of slots on these guys.

 

[DoubleDeluxe]

It's probably better to temper expectations. Some people really want to believe the Pats are going to be contenders this year. At best this is just the first step from the consecutive 4 win seasons we had.

His take on Parsons is spot on. This isn't a team ready to make a big splash for an impact player.

I agree on Parsons, however....
We saw last year with Wash just how quickly a team makes a substantial jump when they get good to great QB play. I believe Maye makes that jump and we outperform expectations.
Think about last year. Say Wash had a chance to trade for Parsons, I'm sure the common thought would be "we aren't one impact player away from being a serious contender". That turned out to be far from true, and would Wash have beat Philly if they had Parsons...maybe.
Again, I wasn't for trading for Parsons, but we really never know year to year what teams will rise and which will fall, we see it ever year where a surprise contender emerges, and others fall. QB play is almost universally always the driving factor.
I take Vrabel's comments a little a different. I take them as an underlying message to the team that no one thinks you are ready to contend this year, surprise me, chip on the shoulder type of attitude he is subliminally implanting. Very smart imho.

 

[ViperGTS]

It is clear to me that Vrabel wants the interior DL to be a force... Williams and Barmore will be a great combo, but Tonga also looks good, they drafted Farmer who has a shot to be pretty good, and they have Gregory who's pretty strong, AND Pharms on the 53 too, PLUS Ritzee, Olajiga and Lovett developing on the PS. He's spending lots of slots on these guys.

It's the Eagles method. Plus you add in Williams' view from Detroit with their attacking style and they might have something really really good.

 

[Hammer of Thor]

I think what Vrab was saying is to create the kind of culture and sustainability you want year in and year out. You draft guys, develop guys pay/ reward your own guys. It’s not a great message to a team trying to build a culture to give up the farm for Micah Parsons.

He’s a celebrity and comes in and is instantly the focal point and face of for organization, this is going to cause some discontent and lack of trust with guys who’s been here putting in the work.

You are also giving up two first round picks and a pro bowl caliber player or a third high pick that should be a cap controlled player for at least 4 years that allows you to get better, younger and keep the cap at a comfortable level where you keep paying your own guys.

I think the model franchise for this is the Baltimore Ravens.

Now I know they haven’t won a championship in a while but they are always respected and a tough in a league trying to be build around parity.

I think you hit the nail on the head there. Outside of NE, what franchise would you want to have been in the 21st century? Baltimore is right up there. They never truly had a star QB until Jackson, so they had losing seasons once every 5 years or so. But they were generally very patient.

You could see that in Tennessee, that Vrabel’s teams tended to resemble the Ravens. But when Robinson traded AJ Brown and the team started losing, the Titans owner didn’t show the patience the Ravens owner does and fired the GM immediately after Brown had a good game against them. That may be ok in itself, but she compounded that by going outside the organization for a new GM who wasn’t aligned with Vrabel’s vision which resulted in mismatched players on the field, instead of going with Vrabel’s recommendation and leading to continuity.

We should be so lucky if we look like the Ravens going forward. Let’s hope the Krafts show patience here.

 

[lancerman]

I agree on Parsons, however....
We saw last year with Wash just how quickly a team makes a substantial jump when they get good to great QB play. I believe Maye makes that jump and we outperform expectations.
Think about last year. Say Wash had a chance to trade for Parsons, I'm sure the common thought would be "we aren't one impact player away from being a serious contender". That turned out to be far from true, and would Wash have beat Philly if they had Parsons...maybe.
Again, I wasn't for trading for Parsons, but we really never know year to year what teams will rise and which will fall, we see it ever year where a surprise contender emerges, and others fall. QB play is almost universally always the driving factor.
I take Vrabel's comments a little a different. I take them as an underlying message to the team that no one thinks you are ready to contend this year, surprise me, chip on the shoulder type of attitude he is subliminally implanting. Very smart imho.

Washington hit on QB and also had more talent on offense to capitalize on it to mask the issues on defense and keep them off the field.

We don't even know what we have in Maye. He has 1 win to his name. The most we can say about him right now is "he's more exciting to watch than Mac Jones".

 

[Ross12]

It's the Eagles method. Plus you add in Williams' view from Detroit with their attacking style and they might have something really really good.

Good point about Terrell Williams. That line was nasty least year even despite the injuries. I know he’s not the DL coach here but have to think he will help these guys excel.

 

[DoubleDeluxe]

Washington hit on QB and also had more talent on offense to capitalize on it to mask the issues on defense and keep them off the field.

We don't even know what we have in Maye. He has 1 win to his name. The most we can say about him right now is "he's more exciting to watch than Mac Jones".

That's the point, they hit on the QB.
My belief (right or wrong) is Maye is capable of that with real coaching, a better Oline and better playmakers.
Wash did not have better playmakers last year compared to ours this year.
Brian Robinson is a JAG, Ekler is over the hill, he had 367 yards rushing last year.
McL is great, the rest of their WRs are srubs, much less depth than we have this year.
Washington's Oline was not good last year, I remember towards the end of the season seeing a stat where they were marginally better than our terrible line in 2024.

So no, they did not have a better O last year than we do this year.
They had the QB, and that's the driving factor.
I believe we have the QB this year.
That makes all the difference, turns an average roster into good, a good into great.
Seen it time and time again.

 

[TheRainMaker]

I watched every single sack and here's the reality of Micah Parsons the pass rusher. Roughly 56% of his sacks (28 of 50) were him taking on a T straight up and beating them. And I was generous with that number. The rest of his sacks where him lining up off ball and nano blitzing though the interior. Occasionally, he'd sneak up on the OL and do the Trey Flowers lining up inside. Some sacks were funneled to him due to the blitz heavy scheme. Also, there were a few of these sacks that could've been a throwaways by the QB, but they had terrible awareness.

There's no doubt he's a talented player, but this is a player who's high maintenance meaning the scheme better revolve around him (heavy blitzing). Dallas going nowhere with speculation they will also be moving on from Dak soon did the right thing collecting two 1st rounders for a guy coming off a major injury and could be more.

 

[lancerman]

That's the point, they hit on the QB.
My belief (right or wrong) is Maye is capable of that with real coaching, a better Oline and better playmakers.
Wash did not have better playmakers last year compared to ours this year.
Brian Robinson is a JAG, Ekler is over the hill, he had 367 yards rushing last year.
McL is great, the rest of their WRs are srubs, much less depth than we have this year.
Washington's Oline was not good last year, I remember towards the end of the season seeing a stat where they were marginally better than our terrible line in 2024.

So no, they did not have a better O last year than we do this year.
They had the QB, and that's the driving factor.
I believe we have the QB this year.
That makes all the difference, turns an average roster into good, a good into great.
Seen it time and time again.

The issue is that WAS didn't have an offense problem the way we did. They got a QB and he had an offense to actually take advantage of it. Daniels would not have done the same thing here that he did in WAS last year because he'd be let down by everyone else and then the defense would still be on the field to crap the bend.

Our line was one of the worst in the league, WAS was better.

WAS second best rusher was 2 yards worse than our best rusher and slightly more efficient.

McLaurin was better than every WR we have and he helped keep it respectable for the rest of the team. Then our TE's were comparable (Ertz vs Henry) only our TE happened to be our best pass catcher.

Both WR and RB's were also better in the redzone.

Maye would have looked better (not as good as Daniels, but better than he was) with WAS offense

 

[lancerman]

I mean, this is how it is. If you make that trade then you're gaining Parsons (an elite player in his mid 20s) but losing two first round picks, a current starter on defense like Keion White or maybe even Christian Barmore, and also the cash that it takes to extend Parson which was record-setting.

So by trading for him, you are losing two first round level talents, a currently good player, and hits to your cap that could have otherwise signed several additional veteran players. The Pats aren't good enough yet to trade potentially 6+ starting level players just for 1 guy.

Exactly. You make this move when Parsons might be why you win a Super Bowl. Not when you are trying to just get level and build a foundation.

 

[DoubleDeluxe]

The issue is that WAS didn't have an offense problem the way we did. They got a QB and he had an offense to actually take advantage of it. Daniels would not have done the same thing here that he did in WAS last year because he'd be let down by everyone else and then the defense would still be on the field to crap the bend.

Our line was one of the worst in the league, WAS was better.

WAS second best rusher was 2 yards worse than our best rusher and slightly more efficient.

McLaurin was better than every WR we have and he helped keep it respectable for the rest of the team. Then our TE's were comparable (Ertz vs Henry) only our TE happened to be our best pass catcher.

Both WR and RB's were also better in the redzone.

Maye would have looked better (not as good as Daniels, but better than he was) with WAS offense

From a coaching and scheme standpoint, absolutely JD is was in a far better position last year.
I've already stated I believe our coaching will be much better this year, which obv puts Drake in a far, far better situation.
Washington's skilled players last year are not better than ours this year, go look at their 2024 roster, there WRs are terrible outside of McL and their RBs were JAGs.
Their Oline was better, I said as much, but marginally. It was not good last year.

 

[State]

If I had $5 for every response to my criticism of a horned dog BB draft of "In Bill I trust," I'd be able to buy a brand new Honda Ridgeline. Just sayin.

 

[Patsfan1645]

If I had $5 for every response to my criticism of a horned dog BB draft of "In Bill I trust," I'd be able to buy a brand new Honda Ridgeline. Just sayin.

If your going to buy a truck at least buy a real truck and not a toy.

 

[Spiral]

Vrabel is telling it like it is. This is not a playoff team. They won 4 games last year, but it should have been 2 or 3. They snuck up on the Bengals in the first game, and there was no way Sean McDermott was going to let them lose the last game and get the #1 pick. I think their roster has improved, but I think it will have to get better to become mediocre. I'll be happy with 6 wins if they play hard.

 

[DoubleDeluxe]

Vrabel is telling it like it is. This is not a playoff team. They won 4 games last year, but it should have been 2 or 3. They snuck up on the Bengals in the first game, and there was no way Sean McDermott was going to let them lose the last game and get the #1 pick. I think their roster has improved, but I think it will have to get better to become mediocre. I'll be happy with 6 wins if they play hard.

If you are going to say the close wins should count as wins, then I guess the close loses (Seattle, Colts, Tenn) shouldn't count as loses?

You can't do that. We won 4 games, period. If you want to say "it should have been 2 or 3", others can easily use your logic and say it should have been 6, 7 or 8.

I will not be happy with 6 wins, nor should anyone be.

 

[Steve102]

If I had $5 for every response to my criticism of a horned dog BB draft of "In Bill I trust," I'd be able to buy a brand new Honda Ridgeline. Just sayin.

Ridgeline is the go to huh?