Patriots HC Mike Vrabel ‘beyond comfortable’ in arrangement with Eliot Wolf

Mike Vrabel spent his second official morning as head coach of the Patriots in a two-hour meeting with executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf.

Vrabel said Tuesday on WEEI that he and Wolf had just got done going through he roster when he joined “The Greg Hill Show.” The 16th Patriots head coach mentioned Wolf by name six times during his introductory press conference, so by all outward appearances, Wolf is staying on staff.

Vrabel was asked on WEEI if he’s comfortable with the arrangement with Wolf.

“Absolutely. Beyond comfortable. I wouldn’t be here,” Vrabel said. “And I think that through the conversations and the interview process and the conversations over the weekend with Eliot and with Robert and Jonathan (Kraft), and just trying to put a roster together and a program.”

It’s still unclear who will have final roster control between Vrabel and Wolf. The Patriots are in the process of hiring Ryan Cowden to assist Wolf in the front office. Cowden worked with Vrabel in Tennessee and was the Titans’ interim general manager in 2022 when Jon Robinson was fired midseason. Cowden was passed over for the permanent GM job for Ran Carthon, who lasted just two seasons in the role before being fired this month. Cowden spent the 2023 and 2024 seasons with the Giants.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter nodded Tuesday on the “Pat McAfee Show” when asked if Wolf and Cowden were working for Vrabel before saying, “Vrabes is the man.”

A team source said it’s “too early to tell” how roster decisions will be determined since it’s still mid-January.

Vrabel said Monday with NBC Sports Boston’s Tom Curran that he’s “very” comfortable in Wolf and the Patriots’ front office to identify good players. He also said he envisions a “shared vision” in terms of personnel control since he won’t be able to spend as much time studying players as people in the front office.

“Whatever they did last year, that was last year, and we’re going to give them an opportunity to prove their value this year to the football team,” Vrabel told Curran.

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