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00:00I see Mike Vrabel's called the show. So Mike Vrabel on Patriots Monday here on EEI is brought to you by Northeast Men's Health, the experts in treating men's sexual health with six New England offices or at NortheastMensHealth.com and by John Sewer and Drain Cleaner, the name to know when your drains don't flow.
00:17Mike, good morning. Courtney in for Greg, who is on the great island of Nantucket, missing your first appearance on this.
00:23That's okay. I thought he was going to Myrtle Beach and, you know, I mean, go down there and play some putt-putt, get some all-you-can-eat seafood.
00:30I think we should make this the best show of the year since Greg is gone and we'll have fun.
00:35And then when he comes back, we can go back to whatever. But let's have a good time.
00:40I agree. Congratulations on how you started things off on Friday. How impressed were you with your guys?
00:46We knew Travion was going to be fast, but that was pretty incredible.
00:49A good way to start. You know what I mean? A good way to start.
00:53We've really moved on kind of to the next phase and to the next week and to the next challenge.
00:59But I really appreciated the players' energy and enthusiasm and excitement and obviously the execution.
01:05Mike, I know it's a lot different with the three preseason games and trying to keep guys healthy with, you know, practices.
01:12What's the one thing that you try to come away from a team perspective and what you're looking at, guys, in these preseason games?
01:20Well, just how they make adjustments and how they respond to live action, whether that's tackling, whether that's breaking tackles, the physicality to finish.
01:32The overall operation, I think, from all of us, I thought was clean, which was good to see.
01:37It looked like there was an organization to what we were doing.
01:41It was a good test defensively.
01:43They didn't huddle for most of the game.
01:46So I thought that was a good challenge to start the preseason and, you know, substitution.
01:52We'd have guys running out there late on different things or 12 men on the field or we didn't have operation penalties.
01:58We didn't have to, you know, we got close to one time down there and then, you know, called the timeout, you know, down in the low red.
02:06Probably would have gotten a snap off, but just wanted to make sure that things were good there.
02:10Yeah, Mike, I had the, my biggest takeaway watching it was just that it was smooth.
02:14I wasn't concerned about, you know, I'm not, I know you're not going to talk about years before this, but it just felt like there was always something clunky.
02:22There was either, you know, a formational issue.
02:24There was too many men in the huddle.
02:25You had to call timeout.
02:26The defense wasn't aligned.
02:27I thought for week one, preseason game number one, it seemed pretty smooth all around.
02:32We're trying to get, you know, a flow to our building and what everybody does and what everybody's responsibilities are each and every day.
02:40I feel like there's been a good flow to camp, have really been blown away by the fans that have come out.
02:47I want to thank them.
02:49So we just, you know, we've wrapped that up yesterday and had a lot of people the entire camp.
02:55I thought our players did a great job of interacting with them and engaging them and trying to sign as many autographs.
03:01I mean, it's hard after a long practice, but I felt like guys tried to engage and sign for everybody that came out.
03:08Mike, we talk pretty much every day after practices and listening to media that is, you know, broadcasting from preseason practice.
03:16And it seems like people get too high on your guys or too low on the guys.
03:19It seems like they jump to conclusions or they exaggerate what's going on.
03:23How much can you mean the media?
03:25No.
03:25Yeah, I know it's shocking, but how much can you really learn from just a preseason practice?
03:32Isn't everybody just trying to figure it out at that point?
03:37Yeah.
03:37I mean, again, I think you can, you know, to that, the ups and the downs, we talked about staying off the roller coaster.
03:44You know, our main roller coasters go up, they go down, they get stuck sometimes, and then you're really in trouble.
03:49So, we're trying to stay off the roller coaster and just continue to build some consistency in what we're doing positively.
03:58So, again, people will form their own opinions based on things that happen, more so the plays that are made,
04:06and maybe sometimes that the negative reaction may or may not be warranted based on what they're seeing
04:16or what the responsibility was or what was going on in the play.
04:20The biggest up and down we've probably seen come out of headlines is Will Campbell,
04:24whether it's a good practice or a bad practice.
04:26How has he been faring in your mind?
04:30Well, continuing to improve.
04:31I thought you saw his play demeanor and style come out in the game.
04:38You know, with protection, obviously, that's, you know, always going to be looked to improve the pond.
04:51Whether, you know, you're taking on a game or you're staying inside out or whatever that may be.
04:56So, I think the thing that Will's realizing is a lot of young players and all of us are realizing
05:04is that there's just different play styles and skill sets for each guy and each player that you're going against.
05:11And that's the big thing is how one tight end runs routes, how one pass rusher rushes, what he's good at,
05:18what his go-to moves are, things like that.
05:20So, that's critical to understand and be able to adjust to quickly.
05:24So, he's done that, he's seen a lot of different players.
05:27Mike, you talk about Will Campbell, you obviously got Wilson over there, two rookies on the left side.
05:33It was a little play in the game.
05:35I don't know if it was necessarily a twist, but, you know, where they kind of picked,
05:38got bumped into each other a little bit.
05:41How is it like with those guys, you know, especially Doug Merrill and the offensive line coach,
05:46to making them understand, you know, we got two young guys out there
05:49and they're going to see things that they probably haven't seen before.
05:52But to make sure that, hey, don't panic, just relax and communicate.
05:58Well, the communication, I think, is something that we did talk about throughout the team
06:03and continuing to improve that and helping the guy next to you.
06:07I mean, it was third and seven.
06:09Should be no shock that there was possibly a game on third and seven,
06:13whether that's a TE game, ET, whatever, you know, everybody calls it.
06:19That shouldn't come as any surprise on third and seven.
06:22And making sure, you know, when you're on the man side that you're able to block those
06:27and you're able to help the guy next to you.
06:29And, you know, that's critical.
06:30If they can get the guy in the crease and then now you get, you know, two on one.
06:34So, again, it starts there.
06:38And then the quarterback being able to get rid of the football
06:41or then being able to make a great decision of just kind of taking a sack there
06:46and we'll punt it and we'll play defense.
06:49Mike, speaking of the quarterback, you know, you were clear at halftime after the game
06:53that the fumble just can't happen.
06:55What's the communication like with Drake May?
06:57And as a coach, I mean, other than just instilling that you have to take care of the football,
07:03what can you do to help ensure that that stops happening?
07:08Well, the communication is pretty much, you know, I mean, I think it's clear how I communicate.
07:13I just tell them what I'm thinking and what needs to be said.
07:21But I think it starts with, obviously, the things that go on before that, right?
07:25What has happened in pre-snap?
07:27What's the situation?
07:30Confirming coverage post-snap.
07:31You know, and then making the right read with the football.
07:35But then, you know, I think the more – and those things, you don't see that in practice, right?
07:42So you look at the preseason practices and even against Washington, if it could,
07:46well, maybe that was a sack or we're scrambling.
07:48You know, we extend outside the pocket and now there's no – you know, the stove isn't hot.
07:56You don't have to touch it.
07:57And I think in the game we're able to, you know, see those things.
08:00And that's why we have preseason games and we get those actions and understand that, you know,
08:06when you say, hey, I'm just trying to make a play, you know, sometimes, you know,
08:10we just – we can't try to make plays because they become bad ones.
08:14And so, you know, I think he'll learn from it and understand, like, okay,
08:18I'm not going to be able to play Superman all the time and I can reserve the right to punt
08:24and help this football team and flip the field and, you know, play defense
08:28and get another crack at it.
08:31Mike, it's awesome that it seems like Stephon Diggs is going to be good for week one.
08:35Holding him back on Friday, is that just out of precaution with his recovery?
08:39Coach's decision.
08:43Mike, you talked about, you know, earlier you talked about tackling and breaking tackles.
08:48Is it difficult to be able to get, especially on the defensive side of the football,
08:53to get guys to tackle when you don't have as much time to do it and be physical
08:59because of the new rules with the pads?
09:01Like, how are you working on that in practice?
09:04I don't think it's the time.
09:06And I think it's just the decision that we're not going to go to the ground and practice.
09:11And, you know, I think it's about getting in good positions.
09:15I think it's about working to tackle like we tackle in practice.
09:19I mean, we go in there and practice and we say thud and guys go up and they stay on their feet
09:24and they hit the guy and they wrap and then they let him run.
09:27And then everybody else hammers the ball and we get into the game.
09:30I mean, sometimes you don't think of it like that and you go diving off the diving board.
09:35You can miss tackles and then they make you miss.
09:39Or, you know, we don't maybe bring our feet and things that we're doing in practice.
09:43So I think it's just continuing to trust the way that we practice and say,
09:48hey, thud is just the same thing you're going to do in a game.
09:51You're just not going to take them to the ground.
09:53And realizing that those are good tackles in practice, then they have to translate to the game.
09:59Mike, you know, obviously Brady's been a person and a figure that's been a shadow cast over the organization
10:06since he left now literally with the statue.
10:09How did you handle that with your team?
10:11And did Tom speak to the team at all when he was in town?
10:16Never said a word and no, he didn't.
10:17Mike, I thought one of the highlights from Friday night was just the kind of the running back group as a whole.
10:26I thought Ramondre was awesome.
10:27I think Travion looked spectacular.
10:29Even Antonio Gibson had some moments as well.
10:31They were physical.
10:32They were fast.
10:33Kind of what kind of dynamics do they bring being so versatile there
10:38and being able to kind of interchange them throughout the game?
10:42Well, I think you saw the impact that both of them can make on kickoff return.
10:46And if that play is going to be as important as we think it is, you know,
10:51forcing teams to really now make a decision, are they going to give it to us on a 35?
10:55Or do we have two guys back there that can really be weapons?
11:00And you saw what that unit was able to do.
11:04And that's so, you know, I'm excited about that.
11:06We have to be able to block and do those things without penalties.
11:09But certainly have some guys back there that can, you know, change the game from that standpoint.
11:18Offensively, then you add in, you know, Ramondre, who did run hard, got receiving skills.
11:24I think they all can, they're willing to protect.
11:26And, you know, I thought that they got off to a good start with how they ran and their physicality.
11:32And, you know, sometimes we're just going to continue to coach and teach and show them all the opportunities where the ball may be in jeopardy.
11:42You know, there's one thing about making extra yards and trying to run hard.
11:45You just can't do it with the ball loose and with the, you know, with the ball exposed.
11:52We've heard a lot of players and coaches talk about Drake May and the jump that they've seen from last season to this season when it comes to leadership confidence.
12:02Obviously, you weren't his head coach last year.
12:04But when it comes to the just leadership and the way he's dealing with younger players and his teammates, what do you see out of him?
12:11And what do you expect out of him this season?
12:14Well, I mean, the expectations that he's leading this football team, that's what the job of the head coach and the quarterback is.
12:20That's pretty much how this thing goes.
12:23And that can't take days off.
12:25I mean, sometimes the performance isn't going to be extraordinary, but the leadership and the demeanor has to be.
12:33And I think he's learning that.
12:35I love the fact that he's willing to learn and push and, you know, try to do those things to where he's demanding of everybody and making sure that everybody's on the same page.
12:48Mike, you know how important it is to have a coach that can help you develop.
12:54When you think of Drake May, you have Josh McDaniels, a guy that's been around so many good quarterbacks throughout his coaching career.
13:02What type of advantage is that for a guy like Drake May to have a guy like Josh not only be his play caller, but also being a guy that's going to help him develop?
13:10Well, certainly it's key to coaching and things that we ask our coaches to do is just try to develop players.
13:19And, you know, I think that the one thing that's important is, yeah, you want to use testimonial of other players, but you also, you know, have to be careful kind of how you frame it.
13:30Right. And making sure that it's it's similar and that they can see the similarities and maybe who you're trying to use as an example.
13:39Right. And just, you know, different players that he's coached and not just, you know, Tom per se, but the development of other young quarterbacks through this system, I think, can be very beneficial.
13:53Mike, we've had a lot of talk here about the decision to move on from Joe Milton and how that was part and parcel with giving Drake May the runway to be a leader and take ownership of the quarterback room.
14:06Can you walk us through your decision making there and why the organization thought it was best to bring Dobbs in and move on from Joe Milton?
14:14Just another coach's decision. You know, I felt like this is what was best for our team.
14:20Trying to do what's best for the team.
14:23Mike, I have to ask because I've only met you once in person and you don't give off soft energy.
14:29You give off very energetic, high energy.
14:31But there were some reports during training camp that the practices seem like you were running them soft.
14:37When you see something like that written, do you laugh at it because people have no idea what they're talking about?
14:43Or what do you say to those people?
14:46I would. Again, I think there's a plan. There's a practice plan.
14:50And I hope that people could watch the game and not use the word soft when they watch us play.
14:57So I don't know.
14:59I mean, you guys just got done, you know, basically throwing a bunch of flowers at our play demeanor and how hard guys ran and how we finished.
15:09And, you know, so again, I think that there's a plan to everything.
15:13You know, big week here for us, you know, so looking at two practices a day, two practices in Minnesota and a game.
15:21So it's, you know, a lot of this is by design as far as when we, you know, try to ramp up in the days before.
15:32I mean, leading up to pretty unique schedule with the scrimmage on Friday and then Washington coming in, right?
15:40There's a day off that you have to give them every, you know, every seven days.
15:44And then wanted to try to have them tuned up and ready to go for Washington.
15:48So some of those walkthrough days, you know, where we're still trying to get a bunch of plays in and split the teams up and everybody's working.
15:58They only work if we get something out of them.
16:00And if I felt like they weren't taking advantage of them, you know, then we would have to adjust the schedule.
16:06That was my conversation with the players.
16:08So I felt like they did exactly what I needed them to do in those days.
16:14And then when the other days we worked, then I felt like we've been working.
16:18And did you not see him jump in the middle of the fray there?
16:21I never said he was soft.
16:23I think he's as hard as they come.
16:24I think Greg said it.
16:25You might want to be careful.
16:26You're getting a little old there, buddy.
16:27You know, you might want to be careful jumping in with some of them young kids.
16:30Well, just because you'd be back in the back hiding.
16:35I'd be back pulling people out.
16:37You'd be back in the back hiding.
16:38Yep.
16:38I mean, run to the roar.
16:41I mean, some guys run into the fire.
16:43Other guys stand back there and wait for people to put it out.
16:45That's it.
16:45That's it.
16:46You got to have the guys with the hoses, right?
16:48So, Mike, when you start to kind of like look at the culture that you're trying to create, the culture that you're building, this is not your first rodeo, right?
16:58And so our expectations of you as a coach are very high because of what we've seen you do in the past.
17:03I know it's, you know, you put expectations on yourself, but when you come into this season, what's your mindset for you?
17:12Like, is there an expectation that you set?
17:15Are you looking at it like, all right, I got this pressure on me because, you know, you always want to be great.
17:20What's your mindset of coaching this team, your second go around as a head coach in the National Football League?
17:27I think it's just figuring out what this organization needs and what this team needs each and every day and then help to accomplish that and help the people that we have here, how I can help them do their job better and figuring out what that is and having a great pulse of the team and what we need and how we need to prepare to win each and every week, what that looks like.
17:53Well, Mike, thanks so much for calling. I'm excited for this season. We're hoping to get back down to Gillette, do these in person again. I don't know where you stand on that, if you like that, if you'd rather call in.
18:05I think this works out perfectly. I'm watching film right here and I'm in our office, so this is lovely.
18:12Can you grade the Brady statue? I gave it a B, Curtis, would you give it a C?
18:17I would say it's good. Again, those are hard. I would say that those are hard. I think that it's impressive and it's well-deserved.
18:36And so, you know, now you'd have to change it up. You'd have to have some, you know, sunglasses on and some fancy shirt if they did that now and they made a statue of him now.
18:48So I think it was a very good representation of Tom coming off the field.
18:55He's a little pudgy, but, you know, he could have been.
18:57He looked handsome. His face was handsome.
18:59Yeah, his face looked good.
18:59Yeah, his face looked good.
19:02That's all Corny cares about.
19:03Yeah, it's true. It's honestly very true.
19:06All right. Well, we'll be back with you next Monday with Greg.
19:09I don't know how you feel about that. Greg will be back from Nantucket, I believe, on Friday.
19:12We'll see if we can get him off the island.
19:14But thanks so much and have a good week.
19:18Okay, guys. Thank you.
19:20And that conversation with the coach is brought to you by Cross Insurance.
19:23Cross Insurance, official insurance broker of the New England Patriots.
19:26We're going to take a quick break. We'll be right back to get your thoughts on Mike Vrabel.
19:29And then we'll be right back to get your thoughts on Mike Vrabel.
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