Patriots to Interview Rival Coach for Defensive Coordinator Help

Mike Vrabel has developed a network of coaches during his time in the NFL, and it looks like he may be leaning on another as the New England Patriots continue building its coaching staff.

According to ESPN’s Mike Reiss, Vrabel and the Patriots have reportedly requested an interview with Miami outside linebackers coach Ryan Crow for their defensive coordinator position.

Crow spent six seasons with Vrabel in Tennessee, getting his start as the team’s defensive assistant and assistant special teams coach, before moving his way up to linebackers coach.

He spent 2024 in Miami as their linebackers coach, with Crow playing a role in the development of rookie first-round pick Chop Robinson, who came on strong down the stretch.

Robinson ultimately finished second on the team with 14 quarterback hits along with six sacks and 4 passes defended.

Feb 5, 2022; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Tennessee Titans linebackers coach Ryan Crow during AFC practice at the Las Vegas Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

(PHOTO: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images)

Crow is a smart guy who values being able to be disruptive and get after the quarterback. More importantly, for anyone wondering how aggressive he might be as a coach, he values putting his guys in position to make an impact and create turnovers, which is something they seem to have focused on last season in Miami.

“Yeah, I think sacks are important in this game,” said Crow back in November when asked about how he believes sack totals should be valued. “That’s why some of the highest paid players are the ones with the most sacks. It’s a valued stat. I do think affecting the quarterback in any way is a big deal, and sometimes that’s not reflected by sacks.”

“However, when you get sacks, they change the game, especially if you get a ball out like Quinton [Bell] did in the game. Those impact the game when you can recover them and you can change possession. So you can stop drives, you can stop two-minute drives. You can really inflict some will on an offense with sacks.”

“And we talk about them. It’s the finish of the play. There’s a lot of things that go into the start and the middle. The sack is the finish, and then obviously, the strip sack is a celebration. So, we make a big deal about it.”

The fact the Patriots are exploring options is likely a sign that defensive coordinator Demarcus Covington’s time with the Patriots may be done in New England. The former defensive line coach interviewed last week with the Bengals, and appears to be exploring options outside of Foxboro heading into 2025.

About Ian Logue

Ian Logue is a Seacoast native and owner and senior writer for PatsFans.com, an independent media site covering the New England Patriots and has been running this site in one form or another since 1997.

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