FOXBORO — Offensive line has been one of the Patriots’ biggest problem areas for the last several seasons. Repairing it will be a top priority for new head coach Mike Vrabel.

Asked Monday about additions he’d like to make to New England’s roster, Vrabel immediately pointed to the team’s deficiencies up front. It was the only specific position group he mentioned.

“Certainly, you look at the teams that are able to protect the quarterback and dictate the flow of the game offensively,” Vrabel said in his introductory news conference. “Making sure that up front, we’re sound, we’re strong, whether that’s through free agency or the draft, that’s something that’s critical.

“The D-linemen are getting better every year. They’re getting more disruptive. They’re getting bigger. They’re getting more powerful. And so as they try to affect our quarterback, we have to have some things that counterbalance that, and obviously personnel is the first way. And then scheme and style and tempo and cadence and all those things.”

Vrabel, who was hired Sunday to replace one-and-done head coach Jerod Mayo, has yet to name his offensive coordinator, so it’s difficult to project what the 2025 Patriots’ scheme will look like. But New England has an ideal offensive centerpiece in rising NFL sophomore Drake Maye — whom Vrabel called “a young, dynamic quarterback” — and must protect him better than it did in 2024.

Related Articles

Potential Patriots offensive, defensive coordinators, GMs for head coach Mike Vrabel

The Patriots ranked 29th in the NFL in sacks allowed per pass attempt and 31st in ESPN’s pass-block win rate this season. They also ranked dead last in run-block win rate, committed 24 holding penalties and 17 false starts by O-linemen, and struggled to keep the same starting five on the field.

New England cycled through 10 different starting O-line combos, and just two of its Week 1 starters finished the season on the active roster.

“We’re going to try to just focus on players we feel like fit us, fit into what we’re doing, that are willing to commit to the team, and then also try to find players that will hold each other accountable,” said Vrabel, who worked as a consultant with the Cleveland Browns this season after six years as the Tennessee Titans’ head coach.

Vrabel wants his Patriots offense to be “aggressive but not reckless,” and for his players to possess those same attributes. That talent-starved group did neither this season, ranking tied for last in the league in plays of 20-plus and 40-plus yards while committing the 10th-most turnovers.

Overall, the Patriots ranked 30th in points scored and 31st in yards gained after placing 32th and 30th, respectively, in 2023.

“We’re going to ask our players to just do a few things: One is to put the team first, to know what to do and play fast and aggressive,” Vrabel said. “That’s the vision for the type of player. Winners come in all shapes and sizes. We’re going to have leaders. Leaders are going to identify themselves. I know that our staff and our ability to create winners and competitors are probably easier than it is to create leaders, and the leaders are going to identify themselves.

“The leaders are going to be the ones that define the culture. … But it’s a long process, and those are the things we’re going to ask the players to do — put the team first, know what to do, and play fast and aggressive and play with some speed.”

Vrabel’s plan for Maye’s development is to “put great people around” the 22-year-old QB, a process that will begin with whom he chooses to hire as his OC and quarterbacks coach. He also plans to individually work with Maye in areas like game management, situational awareness and leadership.

“Drake is going to be his own person, but I’m going to give him some things that I feel like are necessary to help us win football games,” the Patriots Hall of Famer said. “We have to be a very efficient passing football team. When you look at statistically what wins in the National Football League, our ability to affect the other team’s quarterback and our ability to provide for an efficient quarterback and passing game is a high contributor to success.

“There’s a lot of ways to do that — by protecting the middle of the pocket and all those things that we’re going to talk about as we move forward. But how we protect the football, how we’re aggressive but not reckless, understanding where we are in the game and the situational awareness (are key).”

With the most salary cap space in the NFL and an enviable collection of draft picks that includes No. 4 overall, the Patriots have the ammunition to significantly reshape their roster ahead of Vrabel’s first game on their sideline. Other positions of need beyond the offensive line include wide receiver (no Patriots wideout topped 625 receiving yards in 2024) and edge rusher (New England ranked last in the NFL in sacks).