Last year at this time, the best way to describe the Patriots situation was “cautious optimism.”
With a heavy emphasis on the caution.
The Pats braintrust arrived in Indy for the Combine flush with cap space, the No.
3 pick in a quarterback-heavy draft.
That was of course before Jerod Mayo later walked that statement back.
The first of many such statements he’d end up Moonwalking more than the ensemble ofMJ: The Musical.
But that was then.
This, it would follow logically, is now.
2 team), the No.
And just as importantly, Mike Vrabel there, with final say in all personnel decisions.
“We’ve started some of those discussions internally.
We have to be ready to pivot and adjust and have a vision for each player at each level.
That will transition then to maybe some midrange dollars.
And obviously you look at opportunity.
Free agency gets broken down into compensation and opportunity.
I feel like we’re in a position to offer both.”
…
Vrabel hinted that the Patriots plan to pursue some players who are expected to land lucrative contracts.
“I like to shop like everybody else,” Vrabel said.
“But it’s free agency.
I think everyone overspends sometimes in free agency.”
Sweet Car-o-line, is this ever music to these ears.
This is Vrabel planting his flag in the middle of the NFL logo and establishing his dominance.
No more off-label offensive tackles, store brand linebackers and generic equivalents of edge rushers.
He’s heading into the marketplace looking to bring home quality merchandise.
And there won’t be a repeat.
He’s not preaching patience or trying to remind suffering Pats fans on how it took to build Rome.
He’s interested in the best kind of gratification ever invented.
But it begins in earnest on March 12th.
Or sign Demontrey Jacobs in the middle of camp.
That nonsense is over as of right now.
There’s obviously months of work still to come and thousands of decisions to be made.
But just having this Patriots legend’s steady hand on the wheel proves we’re on the right course.
