The New England Patriots are changing! After an arguably poor 4-13 record under Jerod Mayo, the franchise decided to part ways with the HC. And after their coach hunting process for a while, they finally landed Mike Vrabel as their new head coach. No doubt, Vrabel, who has also coached the Titans, is a knowledgeable and hands-on experienced coach. However, even a strong man needs his army. The 49-year-old does too.

We all know Mike Vrabel played for the Patriots from 2001 to 2008 as a linebacker. He even helped the team in achieving three Super Bowls during his time, eventually being voted into the Patriots Hall of Fame in 2023. Now that he is back with the franchise as the head coach, he is looking at his past to collect some important names to join the team. And the latest one in talks is Ryan Crow!

According to ESPN NFL reporter, Mike Reiss, on X, “The Patriots have requested permission to interview Dolphins outside linebackers coach Ryan Crow for their defensive coordinator opening, per sources.” Ryan joined Miami in 2024 after spending the previous six seasons with the Titans. Yes! The same team which Vrabel coached.

That means, “Crow coached under Mike Vrabel in Tennessee from 2018-2023.” And now that the Patriots’s new HC is looking forward to bringing the familiar faces to his team, who would be better than Ryan Crow for the vacant defensive coordinator role.

Crow’s first season with the Dolphins wasn’t smooth as injuries sidelined key players like Bradley Chubb or Jaelan Phillips. However, as the season unfolded, the 2024-first round pick, Chop Robinson, became a strong member of the team under his coaching. The result? He became the NFL’s top pass rushers at rank 11 with 19% pass rush win rate. So, now that Mike Vrabel wants Crow to join New England, it remains to be seen when the OL coach takes up this promotion. Until then, Mike Vrabel is hiring some more of his friends in the Patriots, while keeping the STC.

Why did Mike Vrabel keep Jeremy Springer into his new coaching venture?

Mike Vrabel was hired by the Foxborough team last week. And since then, he has taken up the role in hiring familiar faces. But he has decided to keep special team’s coach Jeremy Springer on the staff. Why? Well, we all know that the Patriots had an embarrassing season with just 4 wins in 2024. But that doesn’t mean the season was bad due to the special teams. Actually, it was the only brightest spot in the team’s bad season.

This is evident from a report by Carlos A. Lopez, “The #Patriots special teams unit finished the 2024 season with a 90.3 @PFF grade, the 2nd-highest grade in the NFL. In his first season as special teams coordinator, Jeremy Springer excelled at his job and turned the entire unit around.” Hence, Vrabel has decided to keep Springer in the team. But that doesn’t mean the rest of the staff on the team won’t change.

According to Vrabel, “I’ve had a relationship with Josh, and I’ve had relationships with other offensive coaches and defensive coaches that we’re going to interview and bring in here.” So that means the goal is set. Now, as per the reports, for offensive coordinator, Vrabel can bring Josh McDaniels after his Raiders arguably failed tenure. Earlier, McDaniels served as the Patriots’s OC from 2006-2008 and 2012-2021. So, it’s quite possible that he will make a comeback. In addition, Terrell Williams, who was a longtime assistant in Tennessee, can fill on the defensive side. Even John Streicher, who spent six seasons in Titans with Vrabel as his assistant, might reunite with the HC.

Along with them, Mike Vrabel’s former strength coach, Frank Piraino, could also join the team. Let’s see how this New England comes up in the next season!