Mike Vrabel Has Had Open Communication With Absent Patriots WR

"I don't really try to have a sense of anything why guys don't come. It's voluntary," Vrabel told reporters inside the New Balance Athletics Center. "But I will tell you that Kayshon has communicated, (and) I texted him and told him that I respected him for doing so. But for whatever, there's different reasons why guys aren't here or will miss a day. That's their prerogative. It's voluntary. We have a few days that are mandatory. We just want to make it a product that they feel like is worthwhile being here."

Boutte is set to enter a contract season after he put together his best year as a pro. In 00 games, he set career highs in touchdowns (six), while also becoming one of Maye's go-to targets in the deep game (33 receptions, 551 receiving yards). Five other wide receivers -- Romeo Doubs, Mack Hollins, DeMario Douglas, Kyle Williams and Efton Chism III -- were spotted at the workout. It's unclear if practice sqaudders Jeremiah Webb and John Jiles were there.

But Vrabel wanted to reiterate that these workouts are not mandatory at all.

"We don't take attendance. We don't take attendance," he said. "I would say what we've always tried to do is that they communicate and say, 'Hey, this is what I've got going on. I'll be here, you know, Tuesday or something's going on,' and so they talk. They communicate with us, and we try to help them however we can. To make modifications to their schedule as well and try to make it worthwhile. We don't want to waste their time. So everything that we do here with them that we want them to be able to benefit from."

This will be Vrabel's second offseason with New England, and first with the Patriots' new workout facility adjacent to Gillette Stadium. Although the press conference started off with the head coach answering questions about the Page Six story involved NFL reporter Dianna Russini, it eventually ended up with the reigning AP Coach of the Year getting excited about the upcoming football season.

"It was great," Vrabel said about the first day of workouts. "It was like just sitting there waiting for them to get there, the voluntary program. Some guys had maybe worked out a little bit together and some guys hadn't. Some guys hadn't seen much of each other, and (I) felt like we picked up right where we left off, which is what you want to do. I think when you're talking about a foundation, (the goal) is to continue to build. And I think that just from two days, I think we try to do that."