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Multiple Players Praise Mike Vrabel And The Culture He Is Bringing To New England

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Coby Leibowitz | Last updated May 22, 2025 4:45 PM ET

New England Patriots OTAs have only been going on for a couple of days, and the players are already starting to notice the energy and culture that new head coach Mike Vrabel is bringing to New England.

Cornerback Christian Gonzalez, veteran tight end Hunter Henry, and third-year receiver Demario Douglas all decided to praise Vrabel when they were talking to the media.

Vrabel has already made his mark on creating the roster, and now he is doing his job by making an impact on the roster.

Gonzalez started his comments by mentioning that the first thing that stands out is Vrabel's energy.

“Everything you see on TV, that’s exactly what you get," Gonzalez said. "He put on a little 51 jersey, which I thought was something he did in the past, but he still ^does it. His energy, he always has great energy, always smiling, so I’ve enjoyed it.”

Vrabel has been seen this offseason, along with others, as one of the more interactive coaches. He has been seen participating in drills and testing his players himself on the field. Vrabel is a former Super Bowl-winning player who knows the intensity and work required to be on a winning team.

Tight end Hunter Henry had similar comments on his experience so far with Vrabel.

“He’s been a lot of fun in the building; in the meeting rooms he’s been great, just briefly being on the field with him has been awesome," Henry said. "He was a player, so he has that energy that we all do. And now also on the coaching side, he brings that great energy that I think everybody likes.”

Vrabel, being a former player in the Patriots organization, helps him relate and understand how to deal with the players. He brings the intensity and energy of a player, but has the knowledge and respect of a coach. He has found a way to not only amp up a young Gonzalez but also get the energy flowing in a veteran Henry as well.

Demario Douglas, who was drafted the same year as Gonzalez, also chimed in on how much he has enjoyed getting to play under Vrabel so far.

“The culture’s different here," Douglas said. "I love it. Vrabel’s a players coach, and he’s on the field with us. We’ve got a head coach that’s on the field with us... You can tell he’s very in tune to what we’re doing and wants us to be better...

“He knows what’s going on on offense and what’s going on on defense, and what needs to be done. That’s how I know he’s in tune with us. He’s making sure that we’re all on one accord and we’re all doing what we need to do.”

Vrabel had a 54-45 record with the Titans, and he is known to be a very inspiring, detail-oriented, and tough head coach.

This is carrying over to the Patriots, and you can tell it is already noticeable by the team. Bill Belichick, Jerod Mayo have coached all three players and are now learning from Vrabel. The fact that they have all this praise so early on shows that Vrabel might have something special cooking in New England.

Vrabel has already made an immediate impact, and it has only been a few days into OTAs. By the time the team goes through OTAs, training camp, and preseason, they are going to be a whole new team with a whole new mentality.

Teams should know that this is not going to be the same Patriots team, and they are going into the season with a new mentality and sense of hope.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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