August 6, 2025 • 9 mins
Patriots Head Coach Mike Vrabel addresses the media on Wednesday, August 6, 2025.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
How are you good, Hi, Karen?
Speaker 2 (00:04):
First joint practice.
Speaker 3 (00:07):
Is there anything you're looking for outside of what you
typically look for in a regular practice, or what's what's
the game?
Speaker 2 (00:14):
What's the goal for you? Well, the goal is just
to be able to.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
Put put the the identity out on the field against
another team, to put the fundamentals that we've put out
there the installation, to be able to do it against
another defense. To be able to adjust to different play
styles of players, players that maybe are you know, have
maybe are longer or quicker or you know, stronger, just
a different play styles of each player throughout this league.
(00:41):
Work with a team that we have a lot of
respect for, a team that was very good and and
and played their best football late uh in the season,
which is why they were had an opportunity late in
the season and in the in the tournament. A lot
of respect for for DQ and his coaching staff.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
So it just is a good thing.
Speaker 4 (01:00):
It like today and Friday to get what you want
to see.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
How do I use what I'm sorry in Friday? The
game and practice?
Speaker 1 (01:09):
Yeah, the game is an extension of practice. The first
preseason games. You know we're gonna we're gonna play we're
practice today, We've got some situations and then you know,
tomorrow we'll you know, be the day before. But but
Friday will be an extension of of a work.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
It'll be a game.
Speaker 1 (01:26):
It will give us an opportunity to go out there,
but still just looking at it as a as a
practice opportunity to to continue to work and get guys
the reps that we think that they're gonna need for
the season.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
For the starters, specifically Drake, come Friday night.
Speaker 1 (01:40):
Again, focused on today and they'll get a lot of
reps well today, different situations. And again, uh I would
say most everybody that's that's healthy, uh I should expect
to play.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
In the game. How long they'll play, I don't know.
But we have to prepare to.
Speaker 1 (01:54):
Play in football games and you know, prepare to win
football games.
Speaker 2 (01:58):
So that's the mental that that we're going to take.
Speaker 1 (02:01):
Mike so far, I mean, he's seems to be a
quick learner and if there's a you know, something that
happens in production, he rarely makes the same mistake twice.
Great teammate, you know, I mean you see him playing
with effort when he doesn't have the ball in his hand,
(02:21):
and you know he's been able to to do some
things in the run game, and you know, learns quickly
to be able to move him around at different positions offensively.
Speaker 2 (02:32):
Yesterday kind of left practice earlier in the day before.
Is that easing him back in still or is that
something knew he seal them with. Probably a combination of both.
Speaker 1 (02:40):
And just want to be smart and you know, make
sure that everybody's plan is the best one for them
to to be prepared for the season. So you know,
more than I'll do a little bit today, it won't
do much and then you know, we'll see where he
is at the next opportunity, which would be Friday.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
You mentioned the respect for d Q. He did it
last year, first year with the team.
Speaker 1 (02:59):
What's the biggest challenge for a coach in his first
season with a team? Just putting a lot of different
people together, figuring out who the core players are, the
ones that you want to bring in, the coaching staff,
the organizationally, the support staffs to get it to where
you want it and you feel comfortable about it. And
that's that's what he did. He did an excellent job
(03:21):
of and we're hoping to do the same thing.
Speaker 3 (03:24):
Like I've heard some NFL coaches say that they get
more out of joint practices than they do in the
preseason games were just not process on that.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
I think that they're important. I think that you know,
they may not be.
Speaker 1 (03:38):
Live, but I think that there's still great tempo, there's
great speed, the competitiveness. But I also I mean the
the games are important. That the games to go out
there and operate and see the penalties and the speed
of it and the timing of it, the time with
the two minute and all those different things, and tackling
and being able to get good guys at the ground,
(03:59):
being able to break tackles, you know, playing cut blocks
and all those things that we don't see in practice.
Speaker 4 (04:06):
Like you guys, obviously your defense is to see Drake
May on a daily basis of practice. But what kind
of uh maybe different challenge does Jayden Daniels post.
Speaker 1 (04:14):
Well, again, we'll have to see what they call and
what Cliff calls and what they run. But he talented,
makes great decisions, but also very fast and you know,
while he scrambles and he can run with the football,
you know, rarely takes a big hit, which is very
impressive for for any player, especially a quarterback and he's
(04:37):
not the not the biggest guy, but you know, you
just don't see him taking too many hits when he runs.
Speaker 4 (04:44):
Marcus Brian gets increase reps.
Speaker 2 (04:46):
Those starters lost a couple lass. What have you seen
from the seven darl this offseason?
Speaker 1 (04:50):
Marcus has gotten better is you know, trying to compete
at left tackle and right tackle, and you know, when
somebody goes down or they're not available, we just put
the next guy in there and then we evaluate him
and if he earns the opportunity to stay there, he
stays there. And Marcus has done that. I think he's
gotten better each and every day played the left, switched
over and played on the right, and you know, did a.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
Nice job the other day at the end of practice.
Speaker 4 (05:14):
For the consideration that having just one joint practice instead.
Speaker 1 (05:17):
Of two because Washington only wanted to come up for
one day.
Speaker 2 (05:23):
Like any words of.
Speaker 1 (05:24):
The players about fights and stuff like that out here,
we want to practice the same way we practice against
our team, and that's by playing physical and aggressive and
not doing stuff that hurts the team. And you know,
certainly don't expect any of that, and if it does,
we'll have to handle it. Accordingly, And I just you
have to be able to play competitively and physically without
(05:46):
you know, letting your emotions get the best of you.
Any plans for live tackling to everything like that.
Speaker 4 (05:51):
No, we're when it comes to just to kind of
fall up on the Gene Daniels question. Heard your defensive
line guys talk about being aggressive and getting off the
ball fast. Do you have to against the more athletic
quarterback temper that for some guys? No, I mean again,
you just have to be coordinated. You have to be
relentless and coordinated in your rush and based on some calls,
and you know, if you're not going to be you know,
(06:13):
where's gonna be some scrambles today that we we need to.
Speaker 1 (06:16):
Coach off of and and see. So that's that'll be
a good thing. And uh, you know, we haven't talked
too much about it. We're gonna go and and practice
and then I think the best thing will be to
to be able to correct it and and and show
it and figure out what we need to do.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
If we were going into a game with the players
to familiarize themselves just.
Speaker 1 (06:37):
A little bit, you know what I mean, just a
little bit, just enough for maybe they're they're shown some
things that we haven't done on either side of the football,
and making sure that they're they're prepared for some of
that if they choose to run the quarterback in the
red zone or whenever they want to do it, or
some of their plays that we maybe haven't seen. And
then defensively, some of the looks that that we may
or may not get, uh, that we haven't gotten from
(06:58):
our defense. So one try to give the players the
best opportunity to come out here and be evaluated and
so that they feel comfortable and they feel like they've
maybe seen something, and if they haven't, then we have
to adjust to it pretty quickly.
Speaker 4 (07:11):
You were a teammate at Cliff Kingsbury for a relatively
short period of time.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
What if anything do you remember about him as a player.
He wasn't better than Tom Brady.
Speaker 1 (07:20):
Uh, just you know, Cliff, Cliff's a good friend.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
There's I mean, there's a handful of.
Speaker 1 (07:26):
Coaches over there that I've that I've played with in
the league, whether that's a year or you know, in
Larry's case, eight years. So they got a good staff
that've got a good mix of guys that played in
this league and other guys that that didn't. But that's
a good coaching staff that they have, and you know,
Cliff's really done.
Speaker 2 (07:43):
A nice job everywhere he's been offensively. You even got
together talking about this practice.
Speaker 3 (07:49):
Are there situations where he'll say to you, Mike, at
this point we want to see something that you'll set
something up that he wants to see his team against
and vice versa.
Speaker 2 (07:58):
Yeah, we talked.
Speaker 1 (07:59):
I mean that the scheme is we don't get into
the scheme so much. Is more situationally, what do we
want to see as it relates to first, second, third, third,
and long. Maybe we're going to be in a no
huddle period or you know, how do you want to operate,
or we'll be on the ball. Let's get some red
zone in. Let's get some red zone seven on seven.
(08:19):
You know, the quarterback can can look to his first read,
got to get the ball out or probably extend the play,
which is realistic in pro football in the red zone.
Speaker 4 (08:29):
Like guys that you know, their ticket to make the
roster be on special teams.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
You just mentioned LARRYO.
Speaker 4 (08:35):
Are there Larry Izo qualities that you look for when
you're looking at special teams guys?
Speaker 1 (08:41):
Well, passion for playing football, competitive spirit, production and I
think would be the biggest thing. Understanding speed and space
and blocking angles and you know, it's a skill and
it's an art and certainly Larry did it as well
as anybody, so I would say that the competitive spirit
(09:02):
would probably be at the at the top of the
list if you're looking for adjectives to describe Larry.
Speaker 2 (09:09):
Thank you, thank
How are you good, Hi, Karen?
Speaker 2 (00:04):
First joint practice.
Speaker 3 (00:07):
Is there anything you're looking for outside of what you
typically look for in a regular practice, or what's what's
the game?
Speaker 2 (00:14):
What's the goal for you? Well, the goal is just
to be able to.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
Put put the the identity out on the field against
another team, to put the fundamentals that we've put out
there the installation, to be able to do it against
another defense. To be able to adjust to different play
styles of players, players that maybe are you know, have
maybe are longer or quicker or you know, stronger, just
a different play styles of each player throughout this league.
(00:41):
Work with a team that we have a lot of
respect for, a team that was very good and and
and played their best football late uh in the season,
which is why they were had an opportunity late in
the season and in the in the tournament. A lot
of respect for for DQ and his coaching staff.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
So it just is a good thing.
Speaker 4 (01:00):
It like today and Friday to get what you want
to see.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
How do I use what I'm sorry in Friday? The
game and practice?
Speaker 1 (01:09):
Yeah, the game is an extension of practice. The first
preseason games. You know we're gonna we're gonna play we're
practice today, We've got some situations and then you know,
tomorrow we'll you know, be the day before. But but
Friday will be an extension of of a work.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
It'll be a game.
Speaker 1 (01:26):
It will give us an opportunity to go out there,
but still just looking at it as a as a
practice opportunity to to continue to work and get guys
the reps that we think that they're gonna need for
the season.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
For the starters, specifically Drake, come Friday night.
Speaker 1 (01:40):
Again, focused on today and they'll get a lot of
reps well today, different situations. And again, uh I would
say most everybody that's that's healthy, uh I should expect
to play.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
In the game. How long they'll play, I don't know.
But we have to prepare to.
Speaker 1 (01:54):
Play in football games and you know, prepare to win
football games.
Speaker 2 (01:58):
So that's the mental that that we're going to take.
Speaker 1 (02:01):
Mike so far, I mean, he's seems to be a
quick learner and if there's a you know, something that
happens in production, he rarely makes the same mistake twice.
Great teammate, you know, I mean you see him playing
with effort when he doesn't have the ball in his hand,
(02:21):
and you know he's been able to to do some
things in the run game, and you know, learns quickly
to be able to move him around at different positions offensively.
Speaker 2 (02:32):
Yesterday kind of left practice earlier in the day before.
Is that easing him back in still or is that
something knew he seal them with. Probably a combination of both.
Speaker 1 (02:40):
And just want to be smart and you know, make
sure that everybody's plan is the best one for them
to to be prepared for the season. So you know,
more than I'll do a little bit today, it won't
do much and then you know, we'll see where he
is at the next opportunity, which would be Friday.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
You mentioned the respect for d Q. He did it
last year, first year with the team.
Speaker 1 (02:59):
What's the biggest challenge for a coach in his first
season with a team? Just putting a lot of different
people together, figuring out who the core players are, the
ones that you want to bring in, the coaching staff,
the organizationally, the support staffs to get it to where
you want it and you feel comfortable about it. And
that's that's what he did. He did an excellent job
(03:21):
of and we're hoping to do the same thing.
Speaker 3 (03:24):
Like I've heard some NFL coaches say that they get
more out of joint practices than they do in the
preseason games were just not process on that.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
I think that they're important. I think that you know,
they may not be.
Speaker 1 (03:38):
Live, but I think that there's still great tempo, there's
great speed, the competitiveness. But I also I mean the
the games are important. That the games to go out
there and operate and see the penalties and the speed
of it and the timing of it, the time with
the two minute and all those different things, and tackling
and being able to get good guys at the ground,
(03:59):
being able to break tackles, you know, playing cut blocks
and all those things that we don't see in practice.
Speaker 4 (04:06):
Like you guys, obviously your defense is to see Drake
May on a daily basis of practice. But what kind
of uh maybe different challenge does Jayden Daniels post.
Speaker 1 (04:14):
Well, again, we'll have to see what they call and
what Cliff calls and what they run. But he talented,
makes great decisions, but also very fast and you know,
while he scrambles and he can run with the football,
you know, rarely takes a big hit, which is very
impressive for for any player, especially a quarterback and he's
(04:37):
not the not the biggest guy, but you know, you
just don't see him taking too many hits when he runs.
Speaker 4 (04:44):
Marcus Brian gets increase reps.
Speaker 2 (04:46):
Those starters lost a couple lass. What have you seen
from the seven darl this offseason?
Speaker 1 (04:50):
Marcus has gotten better is you know, trying to compete
at left tackle and right tackle, and you know, when
somebody goes down or they're not available, we just put
the next guy in there and then we evaluate him
and if he earns the opportunity to stay there, he
stays there. And Marcus has done that. I think he's
gotten better each and every day played the left, switched
over and played on the right, and you know, did a.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
Nice job the other day at the end of practice.
Speaker 4 (05:14):
For the consideration that having just one joint practice instead.
Speaker 1 (05:17):
Of two because Washington only wanted to come up for
one day.
Speaker 2 (05:23):
Like any words of.
Speaker 1 (05:24):
The players about fights and stuff like that out here,
we want to practice the same way we practice against
our team, and that's by playing physical and aggressive and
not doing stuff that hurts the team. And you know,
certainly don't expect any of that, and if it does,
we'll have to handle it. Accordingly, And I just you
have to be able to play competitively and physically without
(05:46):
you know, letting your emotions get the best of you.
Any plans for live tackling to everything like that.
Speaker 4 (05:51):
No, we're when it comes to just to kind of
fall up on the Gene Daniels question. Heard your defensive
line guys talk about being aggressive and getting off the
ball fast. Do you have to against the more athletic
quarterback temper that for some guys? No, I mean again,
you just have to be coordinated. You have to be
relentless and coordinated in your rush and based on some calls,
and you know, if you're not going to be you know,
(06:13):
where's gonna be some scrambles today that we we need to.
Speaker 1 (06:16):
Coach off of and and see. So that's that'll be
a good thing. And uh, you know, we haven't talked
too much about it. We're gonna go and and practice
and then I think the best thing will be to
to be able to correct it and and and show
it and figure out what we need to do.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
If we were going into a game with the players
to familiarize themselves just.
Speaker 1 (06:37):
A little bit, you know what I mean, just a
little bit, just enough for maybe they're they're shown some
things that we haven't done on either side of the football,
and making sure that they're they're prepared for some of
that if they choose to run the quarterback in the
red zone or whenever they want to do it, or
some of their plays that we maybe haven't seen. And
then defensively, some of the looks that that we may
or may not get, uh, that we haven't gotten from
(06:58):
our defense. So one try to give the players the
best opportunity to come out here and be evaluated and
so that they feel comfortable and they feel like they've
maybe seen something, and if they haven't, then we have
to adjust to it pretty quickly.
Speaker 4 (07:11):
You were a teammate at Cliff Kingsbury for a relatively
short period of time.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
What if anything do you remember about him as a player.
He wasn't better than Tom Brady.
Speaker 1 (07:20):
Uh, just you know, Cliff, Cliff's a good friend.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
There's I mean, there's a handful of.
Speaker 1 (07:26):
Coaches over there that I've that I've played with in
the league, whether that's a year or you know, in
Larry's case, eight years. So they got a good staff
that've got a good mix of guys that played in
this league and other guys that that didn't. But that's
a good coaching staff that they have, and you know,
Cliff's really done.
Speaker 2 (07:43):
A nice job everywhere he's been offensively. You even got
together talking about this practice.
Speaker 3 (07:49):
Are there situations where he'll say to you, Mike, at
this point we want to see something that you'll set
something up that he wants to see his team against
and vice versa.
Speaker 2 (07:58):
Yeah, we talked.
Speaker 1 (07:59):
I mean that the scheme is we don't get into
the scheme so much. Is more situationally, what do we
want to see as it relates to first, second, third, third,
and long. Maybe we're going to be in a no
huddle period or you know, how do you want to operate,
or we'll be on the ball. Let's get some red
zone in. Let's get some red zone seven on seven.
(08:19):
You know, the quarterback can can look to his first read,
got to get the ball out or probably extend the play,
which is realistic in pro football in the red zone.
Speaker 4 (08:29):
Like guys that you know, their ticket to make the
roster be on special teams.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
You just mentioned LARRYO.
Speaker 4 (08:35):
Are there Larry Izo qualities that you look for when
you're looking at special teams guys?
Speaker 1 (08:41):
Well, passion for playing football, competitive spirit, production and I
think would be the biggest thing. Understanding speed and space
and blocking angles and you know, it's a skill and
it's an art and certainly Larry did it as well
as anybody, so I would say that the competitive spirit
(09:02):
would probably be at the at the top of the
list if you're looking for adjectives to describe Larry.
Speaker 2 (09:09):
Thank you, thank
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