Felger and Mazz ask Greg Bedard of the Boston Sports Journal what Mike Vrabel meant when he said there were 'rats' around the building.
Thumbnail photo courtesy of USA Today Sports.
#nfl #patriots #football
Thumbnail photo courtesy of USA Today Sports.
#nfl #patriots #football
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00Mike Vrabel calling people around here rats.
00:03So I just think that's a story in there somewhere.
00:07There's some story, an interesting story to me,
00:10because it speaks to is everyone on the same page?
00:14Is there trust issues already?
00:17I mean, when the head coach says,
00:19I've got to address these rats around here,
00:22would lend you to believe there are some trust issues already,
00:25and they're not even a month and a half into this thing.
00:27So that happened on Thursday.
00:29The story has not been reported out, of course.
00:32There's no story.
00:34Well, that's Greg Bedard.
00:35He's brought to you by The Best Ford in Nashville.
00:36Looking for great deals on a new Ford?
00:38Go to The Best first.
00:40Best Ford in Nashville, on the web at thebestford.com.
00:43All I know is there's no story.
00:45Maybe in this day and age, Maz, there's no story.
00:46And this is another thing where maybe it's just all,
00:50maybe I'm just a dinosaur and it's passed me by.
00:52That what's important to me and what I thought was important to us
00:55and the whole thing is just not anymore.
00:57Because if just when I covered the team,
01:01if the head coach came out in his first six weeks on the job,
01:07essentially, and said, I'd like to know about the rats around here.
01:12And I came back to him with a story about anything else.
01:15He would say to me, I might have the wrong guy for the job here.
01:20But now no one even, now I'm, I know people don't bat an eye.
01:23No one even thinks about it.
01:24Because I got the.
01:25Oh, is the Felger, Maz, school journalism now in session?
01:28In session.
01:29Why do you want a job?
01:29Wow, I'm glad I'm here.
01:30In session.
01:31Enlighten me.
01:32I mean, it's just, it's an interesting story to have a head coach say,
01:36we got a bunch of rats around here.
01:38Like, that's an interesting story.
01:39Instead, here are the, I, I, I, I've been listening to the sound,
01:44but they put slug, Kevin is good enough to put slug lines on it.
01:46Tell you what was asked of Mike Vrabel.
01:48Okay.
01:48On if he ever sweated cut down day as a player.
01:54May's development with the new offensive scheme, that's worthwhile.
01:58New kickoff rules and decision on, they'll make it deferring or receiving the opening kickoff.
02:04I'll take that.
02:06Number four, Marte Mapu.
02:08Yeah, that one, that one caught my attention too.
02:12Are we trying to sell newspapers?
02:14Are we trying to get clicks?
02:16Are we trying?
02:17Or do fans not care?
02:19Would they, I honestly, you out there folks,
02:22would you rather hear something about Marte Mapu
02:25or the head coach calling or wondering if he's got a bunch of rats around here?
02:32Rats for 200.
02:33I think, I don't think Marte Mapu is going to sell me a newspaper.
02:38Number five, of course, walking on stage with Morgan Wallen.
02:41So the head coach.
02:43I think that was Dundero.
02:44The head coach comes out and says, I'm concerned about the rats around here.
02:50And instead you ask him about walking on stage during a country music concert?
02:54Is this who I say?
02:55It's passed me by.
02:56Unless I heard it wrong, I do.
02:57I think it was Dundero.
02:59Number six, how can a player help their own cause of practice today?
03:02Fine.
03:03Number seven, what he's seen from Elijah Ponder.
03:05Here's something I'm pondering.
03:08Who's Elijah Ponder?
03:10We'll be talking about him later.
03:13Okay.
03:13So that, are we going to sell the newspaper talking about Elijah Ponder?
03:16Hell yeah.
03:16Subscriptions to BSJ.
03:18Number eight, Chris Gonzalez and his conditioning.
03:20Fine.
03:21Important player.
03:23Nine, Q&A, left tackle battle in starting five.
03:25Fine.
03:26Didn't mind that one.
03:27Number 10, Q&A on Keon White and when he needs to see from him.
03:30Fine.
03:32Important veteran player, maybe on the roster bubble.
03:3411, Q&A on May's running.
03:36I'll always take that one.
03:3812, what he's learned from the roster in the last month.
03:42Generic.
03:43I'm sure there's nothing there.
03:44There's a useless answer.
03:44We'll see.
03:4613, Q&A on removing a sense of entitlement from the team.
03:49I like that.
03:5014, on if certain players have impressed him in camp.
03:54And 15, Q&A on how would he grade the music played at camp this summer.
04:00Oh, that's a good one.
04:02So, again, I just want to reiterate.
04:04The head coach, after a preseason game, said,
04:09I'm wondering about the rats around here after a story leaked.
04:13And you go to the press conference and ask him about Morgan Wallen,
04:16the music played at training camp, Marte Mapu, and Elijah Ponder,
04:21whoever that is.
04:22And I just – not only am I not the most influential guy in Boston,
04:27like I feel like all things pass me by because I can't – if I went to camp
04:33after the coach calls the team a bunch of rats or whatever and ask about the
04:39country music concert.
04:41Fired.
04:41Or the 55th guy on the roster, I couldn't do that job.
04:46That wouldn't interest me.
04:48And as a fan or a viewer, like why – I'm really – Marte Mapu.
04:53Refresh my memory.
04:55Who is that?
04:55He's a –
04:56The safety, the hybrid safety, another one of these hybrid safeties.
04:59He might make the roster.
05:00I'm saying that half jokingly.
05:01Is he going to make the team?
05:02He might.
05:03Seriously?
05:04He might.
05:05You can't be serious.
05:05I have him on my last 53th.
05:06All right.
05:07So, okay.
05:08Class is dismissed.
05:09Okay.
05:10What did you make of the rat comment on Thursday?
05:12So, first of all, I was not –
05:14I have no follow-up comment for you today because no one asked him about it.
05:18They were too busy asking about Morgan Wallen.
05:19Okay.
05:21First of all, I was not there today because I was afraid of timing getting up here
05:25for the show.
05:26Number two, I was surprised that somebody did not ask him,
05:30even in like a joking fashion.
05:32Like, hey, Mike, how's the rat search going on?
05:35Did you bring in any exterminators or what?
05:38So, I'm not even – that story's over.
05:39Like I said, class dismissed.
05:40What did you make of the comment?
05:41Hang on.
05:42Let me comment.
05:43You just talked for like 10 minutes.
05:45Fine, fine, fine.
05:45Droning on about journalism.
05:47Go, go, go.
05:50Number three, he was asked about it today across the street,
05:55and a lot of reporters sort of defer to that.
05:58That's – we don't – I think that's more of a Belichickian thinking,
06:01like Bill was asked about it.
06:03No, I get it.
06:03Because Bill would just be like, I already talked about that.
06:07Yeah, yeah.
06:07But – and his answer was basically what I thought it was.
06:14I think he was – I think he was irritated about the way they played
06:17because they were hot garbage against the Giants.
06:21I do think there is a – there is a part of him that is irritated by some of the stuff getting out.
06:31But I did want to channel my inner variable a little bit, you know, in regards to this,
06:36and I just wanted to say, do you really believe that, Mike?
06:39That what?
06:40About – about, you know, you guys devoted a whole segment like who's the rat.
06:45I mean, do you really believe that, Mike?
06:47I mean, you're a smart guy.
06:48I don't know where you went to school.
06:49I know it wasn't Rutgers.
06:51But, like, do you believe that?
06:52Do you really believe that, Mike, or are you just trying to bait me?
06:56No, because he's had several – he's lashed out, you know, in his fashion here a couple times.
07:01He has.
07:01I do think –
07:02In the last couple weeks.
07:03You know, the Phil question about Diggs, I mean, I do agree with Vrabel in that, like, Phil's been out there.
07:09We've been out there.
07:11Diggs is going to be out there week one.
07:12That – I think he was annoyed about Diggs playing coy and making a story where there is no story.
07:18Because he's going to be out there week one.
07:19He's been out there every single day.
07:20But in terms of this story, like, you guys understand it.
07:26You went through it, okay?
07:27When you are coming up as a reporter, and Jordan Schultz is a younger reporter trying to make a name for himself.
07:34You know, you're not automatically going to get callbacks like when I started covering the Dolphins,
07:38like Rick Spielman and Dave Wonstadt were going to, like, you know, feed me info.
07:42So, I had to rely on agents.
07:45I had to develop relationships with agents.
07:48And Schultz – all of us reporters have different avenues.
07:52I mean, those of us that have been covering this for a while, you have a variety of sources.
07:57But some reporters –
07:59So, you think he's an agent guy?
08:00He is an agent guy.
08:01Okay.
08:01And it's blatantly from the agent.
08:04So, there is no – there is no rap.
08:09And I think it was just a generic, rats around here, I'm annoyed that I have to answer some of these questions when –
08:19and I do think it goes to Mike being a bit of a control freak.
08:22Okay.
08:22So, around here is the one – what is it, Jimmy?
08:24You know, some of these rats around here, so –
08:26So, you're saying it's definitely an agent.
08:29Was the agent in the hallway?
08:31Mike, come on.
08:33You're really being literal that he's like – it has to be specific.
08:37Yeah, he was at MetLife.
08:39Yeah, Jalen Polk's agent was at MetLife that day.
08:41Well, that's why he said around here.
08:43He just meant around his team.
08:47Okay.
08:47That includes agents.
08:49Yeah.
08:50And maybe he has to pull the leash on agents.
08:52I mean, you know, the way Belichick used to handle it, because nothing really got out, all the agents were fearful,
08:58was as soon as an agent leaked something to one of us, and Bears would be waiting for that player at 6 a.m. the next day at the front door
09:08and just browbeat him to all hell, to where the player would go back and call his agent and be like,
09:13I know.
09:14I can't deal with this.
09:15I know.
09:15Don't say anything.
09:16I know.
09:17So, might we see some of that?
09:20Yes.
09:20Okay.
09:21It's just the around here felt like a giveaway.
09:23Okay, but no, no.
09:24But then if that's true, like...
09:26So, there was an agent convention in East Rutherford.
09:28No, but Greg, if what you said is true, that Belichick used to have, you know, his assistant,
09:33Bear Jajarian, standing there ready to confront a player, and that Vrabel may now do the same,
09:38doesn't that suggest that Vrabel was agitated with the player?
09:41Or his agent?
09:43Oh, sure.
09:43I'm sure he is.
09:44Okay, but the point is that he wants the player then to rein in his agent.
09:47Yeah, but I think it's ridiculous if Mike Vrabel is really thinking that, like, what's it
09:52been, like, two weeks since Jalen Polk got injured and we could all see it, that that's
09:57not going to leak out?
09:58Like, just come out and say it.
10:00I don't know.
10:01I mean, I do think it goes to speak to something that we're going to see this go on, and I
10:06was talking to Paul Koharski, who covered him in Tennessee.
10:09I was like, is this out of line for Vrabel?
10:12And he's like, no, Vrabel does this kind of stuff all the time.
10:15See, but I'll tell you, let me just tie it in again, so we all heard the Phil thing
10:20with Diggs.
10:21You just recreated it nicely, frankly.
10:25Then there was a pregame thing with Zola Volper.
10:26There was a report this week that Duggar and Jennings were available for a trade, made
10:30available.
10:31Is that confirmed?
10:32Is that a true report?
10:33Or is that, how's that shaking out?
10:34I don't know.
10:35I mean, you've reported a lot of things that may not necessarily have been true, so I wouldn't
10:41put a whole lot of stock into the reports that go around.
10:44I mean, you know that better than anybody.
10:46Yeah, okay.
10:48Yeah, okay.
10:48He's obviously bent out of shape about the flow of information.
10:53Yeah, there's no question about that.
10:55He is a little bit bent out of shape, but I just don't understand.
10:59Bill used to get these questions.
11:00You're going to get these questions.
11:01There's going to be reports.
11:03And the trade stuff, people are talking to people on other teams.
11:08And so, like, this speaks to me about Mike's personality.
11:13Like, why not just say, I have no comment on that.
11:15I don't even know where that came from.
11:17Instead, he makes it personal with these guys, whether it's Zoe or Phil or, you know,
11:22what have you.
11:23Like, you know, there's a way to handle it, and I don't think he's handling it well.
11:28So you don't think it's...
11:29We're doing a lot of things that...
11:30You don't think it speaks at all to...
11:34So there's full trust down there.
11:36Full trust among all...
11:37Even though Rabel had to inherit certain guys and take on certain guys,
11:42they may be his guys, may have been his first choice, may not have been his choice at all.
11:46But there's full trust there between all parties who are holdovers or not his hire, his hire.
11:53How all that shakes out, that homolage, there's full trust down there.
11:56Well, no, I think that's a separate point of discussion.
11:59Well, so this is what I think that this betrays, and I think it's common, frankly.
12:04Yes.
12:04You know, coaches tend to be paranoid and territorial and la, la, la, and this is what's coming out.
12:09Right, and I think Mike, if he had his druthers, he would have, you know, cleaned house and brought
12:15in everybody that he wanted to and all that stuff, but Kraft wouldn't let him.
12:18My read on it was Kraft because of whatever.
12:22These guys are under contract.
12:24He likes them, whatever.
12:26They said, you know what?
12:27And this goes for a lot of, like, new head coaches coming into, you know, a new situation
12:32where they say, we like these guys.
12:35They're under contract.
12:36Hey, can you give them a year?
12:38See if there's something there to work with or not.
12:41And I do think Mike's a control freak.
12:43And I think that he's a little bit irritated that he had to inherit these people where, you know,
12:51it's similar to when Belichick came in, that he had to deal with, you know, Greer and Wasinchuk
12:57and all that stuff.
12:58Like, it's the same sort of dynamic.
13:00Yes.
13:00And as soon as, just like Bill, as soon as Mike takes success, he's going to push everybody
13:07out and he's going to consolidate power and we're going to be on to the next regime of
13:13Mike Rabin.
13:14Consolidating power and circling around your guys and factions.
13:18And yes, agreed.
13:21That, to me, is an interesting story.
13:23I, that, I don't know.
13:25We dealt with it with Parcells and Belichick.
13:27They had some of the same paranoias and control issues and all of those.
13:31And they were great head coaches.
13:33It's a good thing for, for Rabin.
13:34Is he, like, really following in that mold where it is?
13:38It's like that.
13:39It's just kind of nuts.
13:41But that's the way these guys are wired.
13:43Is he the latest in the line of that?
13:45And then again, there's plenty of horrible coaches who are also paranoid and control freaks
13:50and weird.
13:51So it's not, it's no clear definition, but it's just odd to have this come out here before
13:57we even get to week one.
13:58And I certainly sure as hell find it a hell of a lot more interesting to talk about this
14:02than Marte Mapu.
14:02Yes, Maz?
14:03No, no, no.
14:04I think he's, I think that this thing exposed the level of distrust he has in people that
14:11aren't his guys.
14:12That's how I would put it.
14:14And it's one thing to inherit guys that know what they're doing.
14:16It's another to inherit what looks like a guy that ran a draft last year that's going
14:22to be virtually completely wiped off the board when the roster is set.
14:25So I would not say between the actual functional roster that Rabin was handed by Elliot Wolfe
14:32and this thing that Wolfe and Rabin are off to a great start.
14:36But that's just me.
14:37We can talk about the country music concert if you prefer.
14:40We'll get to more with Bedard right after this.