Mike Vrabel Clarifies Why Patriots Traded WR

Ahead of the New England Patriots' Week 2 matchup against the Miami Dolphins Sunday, head coach Mike Vrabel took time on the radio broadcast to provide his stance on the team's most recent high-profile transaction.

On Saturday, the Patriots cut ties with second-year wideout Ja'Lynn Polk, trading him and a 2028 seventh-round pick to the New Orleans Saints for a 2027 sixth-round pick. It's a premature ending to his New England tenure, as the Patriots used a second round selection to draft Polk last season.

"I just think it was a good start for him somewhere else," Vrabel said on 98.5 The Sports Hub. "We wish him the best. He worked extremely hard to get back and then was re-injured. We were going to be without Ja'Lynn this year anyways, and we felt like what was best was to kind of give him a fresh start."

A fresh start is right. In his rookie season, Polk caught just 12 passes for 87 yards and two touchdowns. To add insult to injury, he was selected with the draft choice the Patriots acquired from the Chargers in a trade that gave Los Angeles Ladd McConkey. Late in the year, Polk suffered a shoulder injury and underwent surgery in the offseason.

“I think I’m in a fight with myself. I’m competing with myself each and every day. Trying to get better than I was yesterday. As long as I have that mindset, I’m going to be great,” Polk said during training camp on July 30. “I don’t go off the narrative of what people think of me. I know who I am and I know the work I put in each and every day,” Polk said. “I just got my foot in the water last year. When I get the opportunity to get it going, it’s going to happen.”