Mike Vrabel, Patriots Reach Deal to Make Vrabel Their New Head Coach

Now that the New England job is off the market, was does this mean for the Chicago Bears? Vrabel interviewed for the Bears job and was considered a favorite, meaning another candidate falls out of the race. However, and perhaps more importantly, a possible landing spot for Detroit Lions offensive coordinator and NFL head coaching candidate Ben Johnson is now gone, improving the Bears' odds in the race for his services. Johnson interviewed with the Bears on Saturday, but cannot officially agree to terms until the Detroit Lions are eliminated from the NFL postseason. 

As of now, not much changes for Chicago. That said, Vrabel was certainly a quality candidate and could've helped change the culture within the Bears organization. With perhaps the best coaching candidate off the board thanks to his prior experience as a head coach in the league, the Bears now need to get their guy so to speak. If Johnson is indeed the top choice, then making sure he doesn't leave Chicago following a potential visit to the city in the future is key. 

With the Patriots job filled, the remaining vacancies reside in Chicago, New Orleans, New York (Jets), Las Vegas, and Jacksonville in this year's coaching cycle.