April 24, 2025 • 12 mins
Patriots Head Coach Mike Vrabel addresses the Media after taking LSU OT Will Campbell fourth overall on Thursday, April 24, 2025.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
And adding will Uh to our football team is that
it's about a foundational piece, a young twenty one year
old that's mature beyond his years. He's a leader, he's durable,
he's physical, dependable, you know, accountable, he's a quick study.
(00:21):
We spent a lot of time with him, and whatever
mistakes that showed up, which they all do, he's he
recovers quickly and and can fix those mistakes. And you know,
we we we spent a lot of time and we
looked at a lot of other players and worked a
lot of other players out, and you know, he made
he made a huge impact on us and and we'orking,
(00:42):
you know, we're excited about adding him and look forward
to seeing him and his family here tomorrow. So with that,
what he got Karen h the need on one hand,
and the best player available colide it. Yeah, I mean
I think that that's certainly, you know, the easiest way
(01:04):
to look at it. That that that's that's how the
board fell, and that's kind of how we anticipated it
going for for quite a while, and that's kind of
where we targeted. We had some conversations to make sure
that we were prepared those those situations that we talked
about a few weeks ago, prior prior to the draft
(01:25):
that we went through on on Monday. And you know,
this is this was a very very easy pick for us.
We're we stay out of the comparisons and in that business.
You know, this is Uh. This is a young player
(01:48):
who cares deeply about the team, you know, is a
leader in that room. And but but to compare him
to to me or anybody else, no, but we love
his football character, his play demeanor, his play style, how
coachable he is. And and you know, a twenty one
(02:09):
year old, you know, player that started thirty eight or
forty games in the SEC is is something that you
know is impressive.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
Will cement himself as the pick for you guys in
this process.
Speaker 1 (02:25):
Well, I mean, I think probably last week when Elliott
and I and Ryan Uh and a few others went
down and spent time with him and and worked him out,
you know, and then went and worked out a few
more players the same day, and we you know, we
made a circuit and and I think when we came
back and we slept on it and then had you know,
(02:45):
the conversations about where it would be if he was
on the board, and you know, I think probably then yeah.
I mean that's where he started, and he's a left tackle,
and you know, it's that's what he's played, that's what
he's done, and so he'll come in here and he'll compete,
uh to be the left tackle, just like everybody else
(03:06):
is going to compete for their spots. That's that's what
we're trying to create here, is something that there there's
competition at every position, and that that our players believe
that the best players are going to play.
Speaker 2 (03:18):
You said throughout this process that are length wasn't the
thing to the problem for you guys in terms of
overall with valeuation. When would would you that we will
help commitment at another course of here, kind of getting
to know him, kind of understanding who is that you play?
Speaker 1 (03:37):
You know there everybody has a play style, everybody has
a skill set, and it's what you do within that
skill set and the tricks that you learn in his
business and how you play and how you do your
job right. And so I think he's learned a lot
of those. And it's a player on the on the
left side and to pass protect and you know, for
(04:00):
for a taller player, he sinks his hips in a
run game and is able to stay attached in the
in the past game and and widen the pocket and
create the width of the pocket and get out on
the perimeter. So you know, it's a it's a total package,
right And if you drop back and you throw the
ball forty times in this league, it's going to be
it's tough sledding for anybody. Right That's let me just
(04:22):
tell you that. Like, that's if you if it turns
into a drop back passing game in the National Football League,
you know, it's going to be an issue for for anybody.
And when when you talk about play style, it's you know,
how is he going to be able to you know,
create that and and and be able to to you know,
for offensive linemen, it's so much about a reaction of
(04:43):
resetting your hand, chopping the arm down, all these tricks
of the trade that they use, and they have to
be able to make great decisions and split second decisions.
So you know, he's his body of workers out there
on the left side against a lot of really good rushers.
They're all going to get beat. Okay, so we can
walk every time that a left tackle gets beat, they
all get beat. I've been in this league for twenty
(05:04):
five years. And but but I'm just I'm confident in
how quickly he is able to process and change and
have a lot of different pitches at such a young age.
How important is it to have such a better kind
of leader in the room at top of for a
(05:25):
younger job. And will Pam, Well, the more leadership that
we can have, the better. And I've appreciated Morgan since
the time that that I've known him personally. There's a
lot of people around here in our building that had
a high affinity for him, you know, going through the
free agency process, and you know, it became evident to
me quickly that this was the type of person and
(05:47):
player that we wanted on our football team. And and
these going to help not only Will, but everybody else
in that room and anybody else that will add through
the course of three days. So he I of everything
that Morgan is about as a person, you know, as
a father, and he communicates with me. You know, he's
raising three boys, three young boys, and that's that's probably
(06:10):
his his most important job right now. And I would
agree with that about the capital and starts as the
title or anything. No, I mean, I have a pretty
good idea. I think Elliott has a pretty good idea.
I think Ryan and everybody else in our personnel department
(06:30):
has a pretty good idea on what to look for
when you're talking about offensive lineman. And but we value
you know again, we value all our players opinions on things,
and you know they all have them. Some are better
than others. There was there's been a lot of discussion
about movement in the first round obviously the ground states
(06:51):
of the find as you let to. Did you guys
receive any alters for the course? Uh? No, you know,
we we you know, I think at this point in
time it was pretty quiet. You know, I think we
would have entertained anything that anybody offered us. But but
it was pretty quiet. I mean, I think everybody was
going up for for two players and one was already
there and they didn't have to move, and the other
(07:12):
team that wanted to get to to two got there.
So we would have been opened, but but excited to
be able to get you know, stay there and pick
and and get and get will have the third round pick.
Did you anticipate that you aggressed try to get back
into the right players are there? You know, I mean,
give us something to do tonight, so we're not just
(07:34):
sitting there watching and uh but but just not to
to go up for just to for just to go up.
So if somebody is there that that we have rated
at at a great spot and a great value, and
I think then we could go back up. But we'll
see as the draft goes on and who comes off
the board and whether we just sit there and wait
(07:55):
till tomorrow if if Will eventually has to move into
Is this a misevaluation this high end the draft and
forth overall? You know, I think that what we're focused
on is where he's going to be tomorrow and the
next day, and not what the misevaluation is. Like, we
we coveted this player. This was a a very good
(08:18):
football player, and so I think part of the draft
is adding great pieces and great players to your roster,
which is what we did. So he hasn't even shown
up here in Foxboro, and we're not going to talk
about where he's going to play or what he's going
to do. I'm going to let everything really speak for
(08:40):
itself and let his play and what he does in
the community and most importantly on the field before we
start talking about that, you know, I mean I just
think that that's you know, that's not fair. I've never
thought about that one time. You know, we've watched every
game that he's played, put a lot of work into this,
and we're all excited and happy that he's here. In
(09:00):
his character, how does he can kick them over? But
you're looking the play style, there's a play demeanor. I'll
just tell you this. When we went down there to
work him out, Uh, he showed up with one purpose
and that was for us to pick him. From the
time that we walked in the building to the time
that we left and got on the plane. Uh, he
he had one objective and that was to to prove
(09:21):
to us that he was the right player for us.
I'll say that, and I can speak for everybody else
that was there. What is the I don't want to
say what is the timeline for him? But with a
young player at a premium position like that, HOWMRN is
it to take your time in terms of his development
to get him ready to eventually play left time? Well,
the time, I mean, it's just block your guy. I mean, everybody,
(09:43):
when you talk about coming from the they threw the
ball a time like let's let's not kid ourselves. Like
he had more drop back snaps than than pretty much
anybody else, uh in college football, Like they threw the
ball fifty times and it wasn't RPOs like everybody else.
So he's he's past protect did he's run blocked. He's
coming out of a pro system. The terminology, He's already
(10:05):
been through it. I don't know how many times with
our guys and with me, and I think it's gonna
be a quick learning curve as far as the scheme.
And then again, there's gonna be a learning curve and
adjustment to everything that he does. But he's coming from
a great program, one that's you know, built similar to
to to pro football. You know, football is is very
(10:27):
important to him. And but but we'll also, just like
every other player, will give him exactly what they can handle.
Last week, he threw a blocking pad on why is
that important for you to be involved in that?
Speaker 2 (10:44):
Well?
Speaker 1 (10:44):
Who made that report? And then I'll answer the question. Okay,
well you know Pete mister college football. Yeah, he he
They all knocked me around pretty good. I realized I'm
close to fifty. And if that tape ever gets out,
there's gonna be people are going to have some problems.
So I hope that tape never sees the light of day.
(11:06):
But I think it was important for me to get
out there and feel them and feel every every player
that we evaluated at the line of scrimmage. What if
anything that surprised me, like just trust Oh no, I
mean it's not like I just showed up here in
January for the first time, you know. I mean, I've
been in the league a long time, so, uh, nothing
(11:26):
surprises me in this league anymore. There's just you know,
distractions that that are going to happen throughout our team
with our season. They're unavoidable. So I hope no one
ever says, hey, we want to eliminate distractions, because I
would say that that's impossible. We just want to handle
them the best that we can and be ready for
him and be prepared for them. So important is to
(11:48):
have the kind of vinegar and brings the table for
an offensive line. It gets, you know, one of the
only ways that you can survive. It's as a player
in this league at the line of scrimmage, the play demeanor,
the finish, the effort. I mean, it's the guys on
(12:09):
the other side are talented. D I mean, it's just
that's how it goes. You know. We think we can
all see that. And uh so so there's a lot
to you know, playing this game other than just you know,
looking good and having great technique, you know, and so
we we we value that and we're going to continue
to value that. The ability to to finish and and
(12:30):
and to grind through when it gets tough is something
that we're we're going to be excited about. And uh
we're going to give him every opportunity to develop and
you know, push, push him as fast as he'll let
us go. Thank you, have a good night. Enjoyed the
free food we got food for him,
And adding will Uh to our football team is that
it's about a foundational piece, a young twenty one year
old that's mature beyond his years. He's a leader, he's durable,
he's physical, dependable, you know, accountable, he's a quick study.
(00:21):
We spent a lot of time with him, and whatever
mistakes that showed up, which they all do, he's he
recovers quickly and and can fix those mistakes. And you know,
we we we spent a lot of time and we
looked at a lot of other players and worked a
lot of other players out, and you know, he made
he made a huge impact on us and and we'orking,
(00:42):
you know, we're excited about adding him and look forward
to seeing him and his family here tomorrow. So with that,
what he got Karen h the need on one hand,
and the best player available colide it. Yeah, I mean
I think that that's certainly, you know, the easiest way
(01:04):
to look at it. That that that's that's how the
board fell, and that's kind of how we anticipated it
going for for quite a while, and that's kind of
where we targeted. We had some conversations to make sure
that we were prepared those those situations that we talked
about a few weeks ago, prior prior to the draft
(01:25):
that we went through on on Monday. And you know,
this is this was a very very easy pick for us.
We're we stay out of the comparisons and in that business.
You know, this is Uh. This is a young player
(01:48):
who cares deeply about the team, you know, is a
leader in that room. And but but to compare him
to to me or anybody else, no, but we love
his football character, his play demeanor, his play style, how
coachable he is. And and you know, a twenty one
(02:09):
year old, you know, player that started thirty eight or
forty games in the SEC is is something that you
know is impressive.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
Will cement himself as the pick for you guys in
this process.
Speaker 1 (02:25):
Well, I mean, I think probably last week when Elliott
and I and Ryan Uh and a few others went
down and spent time with him and and worked him out,
you know, and then went and worked out a few
more players the same day, and we you know, we
made a circuit and and I think when we came
back and we slept on it and then had you know,
(02:45):
the conversations about where it would be if he was
on the board, and you know, I think probably then yeah.
I mean that's where he started, and he's a left tackle,
and you know, it's that's what he's played, that's what
he's done, and so he'll come in here and he'll compete,
uh to be the left tackle, just like everybody else
(03:06):
is going to compete for their spots. That's that's what
we're trying to create here, is something that there there's
competition at every position, and that that our players believe
that the best players are going to play.
Speaker 2 (03:18):
You said throughout this process that are length wasn't the
thing to the problem for you guys in terms of
overall with valeuation. When would would you that we will
help commitment at another course of here, kind of getting
to know him, kind of understanding who is that you play?
Speaker 1 (03:37):
You know there everybody has a play style, everybody has
a skill set, and it's what you do within that
skill set and the tricks that you learn in his
business and how you play and how you do your
job right. And so I think he's learned a lot
of those. And it's a player on the on the
left side and to pass protect and you know, for
(04:00):
for a taller player, he sinks his hips in a
run game and is able to stay attached in the
in the past game and and widen the pocket and
create the width of the pocket and get out on
the perimeter. So you know, it's a it's a total package,
right And if you drop back and you throw the
ball forty times in this league, it's going to be
it's tough sledding for anybody. Right That's let me just
(04:22):
tell you that. Like, that's if you if it turns
into a drop back passing game in the National Football League,
you know, it's going to be an issue for for anybody.
And when when you talk about play style, it's you know,
how is he going to be able to you know,
create that and and and be able to to you know,
for offensive linemen, it's so much about a reaction of
(04:43):
resetting your hand, chopping the arm down, all these tricks
of the trade that they use, and they have to
be able to make great decisions and split second decisions.
So you know, he's his body of workers out there
on the left side against a lot of really good rushers.
They're all going to get beat. Okay, so we can
walk every time that a left tackle gets beat, they
all get beat. I've been in this league for twenty
(05:04):
five years. And but but I'm just I'm confident in
how quickly he is able to process and change and
have a lot of different pitches at such a young age.
How important is it to have such a better kind
of leader in the room at top of for a
(05:25):
younger job. And will Pam, Well, the more leadership that
we can have, the better. And I've appreciated Morgan since
the time that that I've known him personally. There's a
lot of people around here in our building that had
a high affinity for him, you know, going through the
free agency process, and you know, it became evident to
me quickly that this was the type of person and
(05:47):
player that we wanted on our football team. And and
these going to help not only Will, but everybody else
in that room and anybody else that will add through
the course of three days. So he I of everything
that Morgan is about as a person, you know, as
a father, and he communicates with me. You know, he's
raising three boys, three young boys, and that's that's probably
(06:10):
his his most important job right now. And I would
agree with that about the capital and starts as the
title or anything. No, I mean, I have a pretty
good idea. I think Elliott has a pretty good idea.
I think Ryan and everybody else in our personnel department
(06:30):
has a pretty good idea on what to look for
when you're talking about offensive lineman. And but we value
you know again, we value all our players opinions on things,
and you know they all have them. Some are better
than others. There was there's been a lot of discussion
about movement in the first round obviously the ground states
(06:51):
of the find as you let to. Did you guys
receive any alters for the course? Uh? No, you know,
we we you know, I think at this point in
time it was pretty quiet. You know, I think we
would have entertained anything that anybody offered us. But but
it was pretty quiet. I mean, I think everybody was
going up for for two players and one was already
there and they didn't have to move, and the other
(07:12):
team that wanted to get to to two got there.
So we would have been opened, but but excited to
be able to get you know, stay there and pick
and and get and get will have the third round pick.
Did you anticipate that you aggressed try to get back
into the right players are there? You know, I mean,
give us something to do tonight, so we're not just
(07:34):
sitting there watching and uh but but just not to
to go up for just to for just to go up.
So if somebody is there that that we have rated
at at a great spot and a great value, and
I think then we could go back up. But we'll
see as the draft goes on and who comes off
the board and whether we just sit there and wait
(07:55):
till tomorrow if if Will eventually has to move into
Is this a misevaluation this high end the draft and
forth overall? You know, I think that what we're focused
on is where he's going to be tomorrow and the
next day, and not what the misevaluation is. Like, we
we coveted this player. This was a a very good
(08:18):
football player, and so I think part of the draft
is adding great pieces and great players to your roster,
which is what we did. So he hasn't even shown
up here in Foxboro, and we're not going to talk
about where he's going to play or what he's going
to do. I'm going to let everything really speak for
(08:40):
itself and let his play and what he does in
the community and most importantly on the field before we
start talking about that, you know, I mean I just
think that that's you know, that's not fair. I've never
thought about that one time. You know, we've watched every
game that he's played, put a lot of work into this,
and we're all excited and happy that he's here. In
(09:00):
his character, how does he can kick them over? But
you're looking the play style, there's a play demeanor. I'll
just tell you this. When we went down there to
work him out, Uh, he showed up with one purpose
and that was for us to pick him. From the
time that we walked in the building to the time
that we left and got on the plane. Uh, he
he had one objective and that was to to prove
(09:21):
to us that he was the right player for us.
I'll say that, and I can speak for everybody else
that was there. What is the I don't want to
say what is the timeline for him? But with a
young player at a premium position like that, HOWMRN is
it to take your time in terms of his development
to get him ready to eventually play left time? Well,
the time, I mean, it's just block your guy. I mean, everybody,
(09:43):
when you talk about coming from the they threw the
ball a time like let's let's not kid ourselves. Like
he had more drop back snaps than than pretty much
anybody else, uh in college football, Like they threw the
ball fifty times and it wasn't RPOs like everybody else.
So he's he's past protect did he's run blocked. He's
coming out of a pro system. The terminology, He's already
(10:05):
been through it. I don't know how many times with
our guys and with me, and I think it's gonna
be a quick learning curve as far as the scheme.
And then again, there's gonna be a learning curve and
adjustment to everything that he does. But he's coming from
a great program, one that's you know, built similar to
to to pro football. You know, football is is very
(10:27):
important to him. And but but we'll also, just like
every other player, will give him exactly what they can handle.
Last week, he threw a blocking pad on why is
that important for you to be involved in that?
Speaker 2 (10:44):
Well?
Speaker 1 (10:44):
Who made that report? And then I'll answer the question. Okay,
well you know Pete mister college football. Yeah, he he
They all knocked me around pretty good. I realized I'm
close to fifty. And if that tape ever gets out,
there's gonna be people are going to have some problems.
So I hope that tape never sees the light of day.
(11:06):
But I think it was important for me to get
out there and feel them and feel every every player
that we evaluated at the line of scrimmage. What if
anything that surprised me, like just trust Oh no, I
mean it's not like I just showed up here in
January for the first time, you know. I mean, I've
been in the league a long time, so, uh, nothing
(11:26):
surprises me in this league anymore. There's just you know,
distractions that that are going to happen throughout our team
with our season. They're unavoidable. So I hope no one
ever says, hey, we want to eliminate distractions, because I
would say that that's impossible. We just want to handle
them the best that we can and be ready for
him and be prepared for them. So important is to
(11:48):
have the kind of vinegar and brings the table for
an offensive line. It gets, you know, one of the
only ways that you can survive. It's as a player
in this league at the line of scrimmage, the play demeanor,
the finish, the effort. I mean, it's the guys on
(12:09):
the other side are talented. D I mean, it's just
that's how it goes. You know. We think we can
all see that. And uh so so there's a lot
to you know, playing this game other than just you know,
looking good and having great technique, you know, and so
we we we value that and we're going to continue
to value that. The ability to to finish and and
(12:30):
and to grind through when it gets tough is something
that we're we're going to be excited about. And uh
we're going to give him every opportunity to develop and
you know, push, push him as fast as he'll let
us go. Thank you, have a good night. Enjoyed the
free food we got food for him,
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