Mike Vrabel leads Patriots brass at Senior Bowl, discusses collaboration with personnel department
FOXBORO -- Mike Vrabel's first offseason as head coach of the New England Patriots is in full swing. Vrabel and a large number of his staffers are in Mobile, Alabama this week to scout potential 2025 draft picks at the Senior Bowl.
Vrabel is leading the charge for New England, with executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf, VP of player personnel Ryan Cowden, director of player personnel Matt Groh, college scouting director Camren Williams, and vice president of football operations and strategy John Streicher -- along with several other scouts on New England's staff -- all on hand as the Senior Bowl activities kicked off Tuesday.
This is much different from last year, when Groh and Williams led New England's group in Mobile. Vrabel is the only Patriots coach in attendance this week, and discussed scouting with the personnel department for the upcoming draft.
"We want to see it through the same lens. Sometimes what we see is different. Having conversations is important," Vrabel said in a clip posted to X by the Patriots. "But we have to make sure we're bringing in great people, that we believe in the people, that we trust in the people, and that the ability also matches the level of trust that we have in the players and people that we bring in."
The Patriots own the No.4 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, though most of the top talent in the draft isn't taking part in the Senior Bowl. However, the Patriots should get a good idea on players they could take in later rounds, including offensive and defensive linemen they could potentially take with the No. 38 pick in the second round.
What is The Senior Bowl?
The Senior Bowl is one of the offseason scouting showcases for the NFL, giving former college players a chance to show teams what they can do ahead of the Scouting Combine and the draft. There was a practice on Tuesday, and players will work out on Wednesday and Thursday before the actual Senior Bowl will be played on Saturday at Hancock Whitney Stadium -- the home of the University of South Alabama.
Vrabel discusses collaboration with Patriots personnel department
Vrabel, Wolf, and Cowden discussed the collaborative nature of their trip to Alabama with Patriots.com.
"We had some conversations this morning with the three of us, and it was what I envisioned it being: our shared vision, but also it brings three different ideas that have been different places and that have looked at it different ways," Vrabel told Patriots.com. "I'm always going to lean to the side of the coach and then the personnel. These guys are more from the personnel standpoint. I enjoyed what we worked on this morning. We had some conversations here through practice, and I think we are all looking forward to getting moving on this roster and building this team."
Wolf is a holdoff from the 2024 season in the personnel department, and said that working with Vrabel and Cowden is off to a great start.
"It's been awesome. We're getting to know each other a little bit. The thing I like about it, it's very focused and intentional. [Coach Vrabel] knows exactly what he wants," said Wolf. "He's done it before. He knows ball. He can talk through every position really well. He's already detailed about what he's looking for, so that makes our jobs easier."
Cowden, who worked with Vrabel in Tennessee from 2018-2022, is hopeful that the trio will get the Patriots back to their winning ways in the near future.
"It's an opportunity to come help build something, help build a program back. Obviously, it's a place that's had a ton of success. It's used to winning, and I just wanted to come and be a part of trying to get back to that," said Cowden . "Coach is going to talk a lot about building a program that we're proud of, that you want to protect, and that's what I want to try and help do, and work alongside Eliot and Coach and the rest of the staff, and just do my part."
Important offseason dates for Patriots
From a scouting standpoint, the East-West Shrine Bowl is also this week. That will be held on Thursday, January 30 in Arlington, Texas.
The NFL Scouting Combine will take place from Feb. 24 through March 3 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
In free agency, the legal tampering period kicks off on March 10 and ends when the new league year begins at 4 p.m. on March 12.
The NFL Draft will take place from April 24-26 in Green Bay.