How Mike Vrabel Handled Question About Eliot Wolf, Patriots Personnel

FOXBORO, Mass. — Mike Vrabel is looking forward to working with Patriots executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf.

The newly-named Patriots head coach expressed just that while name-dropping Wolf six times during his introductory press conference at Gillette Stadium on Monday.

Vrabel acknowledged the personnel staff and coaching staff are not yet finalized, but expressed he’s looking forward to working with those who have a shared vision.

“I think the most important thing is there’s a shared organizational vision for what we want to do and how we want to work and how we want to acquire players,” Vrabel said when asked about a collaborative approach. “There’s numerous ways to acquire players through free agency, trade, draft, post-draft process, post after training camp.

“Again, I’m just excited to sit down with Eliot and his staff. I’ve met more with Eliot over the weekend than I have — I’ve had conversations with him, but I need to sit down with his staff and figure out where we’re at, what we need to do. I’m confident that those types of decisions are all going to sort themselves out. We don’t always want to be on the same page. That’s not the environment we want to create. But we want to have a shared vision, and there’s also different ways to get there.”

Vrabel said he will embrace that everyone has a different personality, and isn’t looking for a uniform staff.

“We’re going to have diverse ideas, and that’s critical, and to be able to have those types of conversations is something I’m looking forward to,” Vrabel said.

When Vrabel was asked later what made the Patriots’ vacancy so desirable, the veteran head coach specifically mentioned Wolf. He also said the ability to have open dialogue with Robert and Jonathan Kraft, the up-and-coming Drake Maye and the fact the Patriots have a mix of youth and veterans in the locker room made it enticing.

Reports surfaced Monday afternoon the Patriots would be hiring executive Ryan Cowden on the personnel side. Vrabel has experience with Cowden, who spent the last two seasons with the New York Giants, dating back to their time together with the Tennessee Titans. Vrabel on Monday deflected when asked about Cowden following him to New England, but it’s been reported Wolf will remain in charge of personnel.

“As with any staff, there’s going to be turnover,” Vrabel said. “There’s going to be new coaches and new faces, some that I will have history with and some that I won’t.”

It certainly seems like Vrabel is going to get acquainted with Wolf, however.