The New England Patriots' head coach did not mince words about the team's moves when free agency begins.
We have a little under three weeks left until the NFL free agency market opens up and player movements begin to take shape. The New England Patriots have a lot of potential free agents to address in terms of re-signing to the team.
Others, the Patriots may let go and test the market waters.
A man who will be pressed about this is head coach Mike Vrabel. He may not be VP of Player Personnel, Eliot Wolf, but Vrabel is indeed in the know on the postseason plan for what the team wants to do in free agency.
Vrabel made his first appearance at the NFL combine on Wednesday, where he spoke with reporters for the first time since returning to Foxborough after the Super Bowl LX loss in Santa Clara, California, a few weeks ago.
Vrabel was immediately pressed on the plans for who stays and who goes on the 2026 roster. Vrabel's rebuttal made it clear: the team is still working things out.
"I don't want to tell you what it is because we're still working through it," Vrabel told reporters about the Patriots' plan. "We want to have a plan, and we want to bring in really talented players that we have a vision for, that we also believe the type of character they have, as we build this team and improve on what we did this year, and we know how difficult that will be. So right now the plan is to evaluate everyone that we can have communication and conversations when those times come."
The Patriots have a lot to look at in terms of who's who at the combine this week. They also need to make some choices on free agents like K'Lavon Chaisson, Jaylin Hawkins, and Austin Hooper, to name a few.
There's the Stefon Diggs situation, trade options involving outside players rumored to have strong interest in playing for Vrabel, and who the Patriots would want in the draft.
That's a lot to plan for if you hope to be better than last year and actually win a Super Bowl this time around.
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