Mike Vrabel looks like the leader in the clubhouse to be the New England Patriots' head coach. But should his background give the team pause?
After all, Vrabel has spent almost his entire NFL career as a player and coach on the defensive side of the ball. He won three Super Bowls in New England as an outside linebacker, served as a linebackers coach and defensive coordinator with the Houston Texans, and didn't call offensive plays during his six-year stint as Tennessee Titans head coach.
WATCH ANYTIME FOR FREE
 |
>Stream NBC10 Boston news for free, 24/7, wherever you are. |
While Vrabel obviously has strong ties to the Patriots, is a head coach with such a defense-heavy resume the right fit for a New England team that desperately needs to show improvement on offense -- and whose best player is a 22-year-old quarterback? Or would the Patriots be better off hiring someone like Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, who could help develop Drake Maye into a superstar?
Ex-Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski and former New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees joined 98.5 The Sports Hub's Zolak & Bertrand on Tuesday and explained why Vrabel's defensive background shouldn't be an issue for New England.
Get updates on what's happening in Boston to your inbox. Sign up for our >News Headlines newsletter.
MORE PATRIOTS COVERAGE
"I feel like New England fans will be happy if either one of them gets hired here," Gronkowski said of Vrabel and Johnson. "But a defensive-minded head coach, you've definitely got to have defense to win a championship, and a guy like Mike Vrabel who is defensive-minded, he's ready to go to run a team and he's gonna put a guy around him as well on the offensive side of the ball to run the offensive schemes and to do a solid job on that side.
"So, yeah, it doesn't matter. As long as you're ready to go, a defensive-minded coach is no problem."
Gronkowski brings up two important points. First, the Patriots' defense also desperately needs to improve after ranking 22nd in the NFL in points per game allowed (24.5) and in the bottom third of the league in several other defensive metrics. So, if Vrabel can help shore up that side of the ball, that's a win for the Patriots.
Second, Vrabel still could set Maye up to succeed if he hires the right offensive coordinator. Former Patriots OC Josh McDaniels has been speculated as one potential option, so perhaps a setup where McDaniels -- or another experienced OC -- has full control of the offense and works closely with Maye could pay dividends.
Brees co-signed Gronkowski's take, adding that the coach's top priority would be to act as "CEO" and empower his coordinators.
"At the end of the day, your No. 1 job is to create culture and to create a standard and then hold everybody accountable to that," Brees said. "We've seen plenty of head coaches throughout the years that, maybe they weren't the defensive play-caller, or they weren't the offensive play-caller, but they were the CEO, right?
"They were this guy who could lead, who could hold guys accountable, could put together a great staff and then say, 'Hey, offense, put the best guys in place to help teach and coach that side of the ball.'"
Of course, the Jerod Mayo was in a similar "CEO" position this past season and was fired after going 4-13. So, the Patriots will have to make sure that whoever they hire next has the right support staff around him.
