New Patriots Report Portrays Ticky-Tack Operation Before Mike Vrabel Arrival

Well, this won’t help the narrative.

The Boston Herald’s Andrew Callahan and Doug Kyed on Sunday published an extensive report on what they learned from the NFL scouting combine. It included insight on who the Patriots will pursue and won’t pursue in NFL free agency, how they could approach the draft and reflective details from the abysmal 2024 campaign.

But one of the most eye-catching nuggets was how the Patriots cut corners in even the most ticky-tack of ways.

“Relatedly, one team source revealed Vrabel secured more resources from ownership during his interview process to fix a problem that left some around the league slack-jawed a year ago,” the Herald wrote.

“According to sources, the Krafts gave Jerod Mayo’s new assistant coaches a fraction of a typical NFL moving allowance and only a few weeks of temporary housing while they relocated to New England. Under Vrabel, at least one new assistant has been given more than a month to find a permanent home while he helps the team prepare for free agency and the draft.”

In layman’s terms, the Patriots wouldn’t cover the room cost at the Hilton Garden Inn, or some similar nearby hotel, past a certain date. While Mayo’s staff featured some Bill Belichick holdovers, assistants like Alex Van Pelt, Jeremy Springer, T.C. McCartney, Scott Peters, etc. all were coming from other cities. It probably came as a surprise to assistants who spent time elsewhere, perhaps in comparison to Belichick’s disciples who were just happy to have a job when they first started in New England.

The Herald did not draw a straight line to former executive vice president of football business Robyn Glaser being the one responsible in that scenario, but other details indicated she was responsible for putting in some financial constraints.

“Multiple sources told the Herald that Glaser tried to cut costs around the organization to ensure they were spending more effectively,” the Herald wrote. “A team source believed Glaser tried to make changes within the organization without a full understanding of what processes she was changing.

“When asked for an example, the source said that Glaser’s approach was to simply do the opposite of what Bill Belichick had done in several areas.”

A controversial figure in the organization, Glaser reportedly resigned this offseason.

It’s not the first time Patriots owner Robert Kraft has been criticized for the resources he’s put into the team. Revisionist history has caused fans to view Tom Brady and Bill Belichick as miracle workers who covered up those financially-based shortcomings. The NFLPA Report Card published last week revealed players’ concerns with the weight room, team plane, etc.

Vrabel reportedly has secured more resources for the team moving forward, which might be on display in the near future with NFL free agency next week.