FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - Quick thoughts and notes on the New England Patriots and the NFL:

1.OC conspiracy: In his first week as Patriots head coach, Mike Vrabel began meeting with members of the team's 2024 coaching staff and scouting coaches from other teams to interview.

One of his top priorities is developing a workforce that embodies his vision – to teach, develop and inspire by making connections.

"As with any employee, there will be turnover," Vrabel said during an introductory news conference. "There's going to be new coaches, new faces - some that I've worked with, some that I haven't. That's the interview process."

Vrabel has no timetable for building out his staff, in part because some of the coaches he plans to talk to are still playing in the postseason and potentially Super Bowl LIX on Feb. 9.

One such example is Detroit Lions defensive line coach/run game coordinator Terrell Williams, one of Vrabel's most trusted assistants during his six-year tenure as head coach of the Tennessee Titans. Vrabel thought so highly of Williams that he added assistant head coaching duties during his final season.

Some in the NFL believe Williams, 50, would be an ideal choice for Vrabel as defensive coordinator. If that doesn't happen, Vrabel could look to others who coached with Williams at Tennessee, such as Philadelphia Eagles inside linebackers coach Bobby King, Miami Dolphins outside linebackers coach Ryan Crowe and Titans passing game coordinator/cornerbacks coach Chris Harris.

These are among the more easily identifiable connections to Vrabel in arguably his strongest area of ​​expertise — defense — and names that come up more frequently in conversations with NFL coaches, front offices and agent sources. On special teams, momentum appears to be building for Vrabel to retain coordinator Jeremy Springer and senior assistant Tom Quinn, who coached on Vrabel's staff at Tennessee.

In these circles, people aren't quite sure what Vrabel's thoughts are on offensive coordinator, which is naturally one of the most important decisions he'll make. That's thanks in part to the emergence of promising quarterback Derek Meyer.

Vrabel said on sports radio station WEEI that he has a "long list" and confirmed it includes former Las Vegas Raiders head coach and Patriots coordinator Josh McDaniels, He still lives in the area and last worked with the Patriots in 2021 when he worked wonders with them. -Rookie Mac Jones.

“I’ve built a relationship with Josh and I’ve built a relationship with the other offensive coaches and defensive coaches and we’re going to interview them and bring them here,” Vrabel said.

Vrabel has the highest respect for Arthur Smith, his former Titans and current Pittsburgh Steelers teammate. Smith — the former head coach of the Atlanta Falcons and now a head coaching candidate with the New York Jets and Chicago Bears — could be taken off the board. Former Titans coach Tim Kelly (New York Giants TE coach) and Tony Douce (Jets RB coach), among others, have been linked to Vrabel and could be on his radar in some form (Kelly on Vrabel spent his final season as Titans OC).

When Vrabel was initially hired as Titans coach in 2018, then-Ohio State offensive coordinator Ryan Day was one of the OCs he pursued. Day's mentor, Chip Kelly, currently serves as Ohio State's OC and would be a possibility that Vrabel considers outside of the box. Kelly's offense will be on display Monday in the College Football Playoff national championship game between Ohio State and Notre Dame (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN).

Vrabel eventually hired then-Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur, who took a one-year hiatus before taking over as Packers head coach (Smith replaced him in 2019). Vrabel could also consider a similar approach in 2025 with Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur or even Rams quarterbacks coach Dave Ragone.

The team interviewed Bears passing game coordinator Thomas Brown last week and requested permission to speak with Chargers passing game coordinator Marcus Brady, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported.

As for what Vrabel wants from the Patriots' offense, he emphasized an "aggressive but not reckless" approach. Creativity and versatility are also important, he said, if players can handle it. That means zone and gap schemes in the running game, center and shotgun schemes in the passing game and tempo.

Vrabel's choice of who to ultimately coordinate remains one of the most interesting storylines on the team.

2. Radar assistant? One point Boston College head coach Bill O'Brien made during Vrabel's first radio interview -- when O'Brien called to congratulate him -- was that Vrabel would have a plan for the Patriots in terms of strength and conditioning and weightlifting. clear standards.

NFL sources expect Vrabel to bring Frank Piraino, his former strength coach at Tennessee, to New England to accomplish that goal. Piraino knows the area well from his days at Boston College and spent last season with the Giants.

Just as Bill Belichick asked director of football research Ernie Adams to assist him in game management, Vrabel asked John Streich to fill that role with the Titans. Strecher is now expected to follow Vrabel to New England. Like Vrabel, Streicher is an Ohio State alum who spends the 2024 season with the Rams.

3. Examination documents: Longtime scout and personnel director Ryan Cowden, who spent the first part of his career with the Panthers, will join the Patriots in a key front-office role, according to a team source. 16 years and rose through the ranks with Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane and the Giants. General Manager Joe Schon.

“A good evaluator with a strong stance,” said one longtime executive.

Cowden and Vrabel met at Tennessee, with Cowden hired in 2016 and Vrabel taking over as head coach two years later. That history was the impetus for Cowden, 46, to land in New England.

4. Zhudong Draft: The Patriots traded outside linebacker Matthew Judon to the Falcons in August for the 77th overall pick in the 2025 draft -- thanks to the Falcons' 8-9 record ( tied with three other teams), thus becoming the 13th pick in the third round. The rewards are good.

Rams starting outside linebacker Byron Young out of Tennessee is the 77th overall pick in the 2023 draft and an example of the type of player the Patriots could sign if they draft and develop well.

Judon, meanwhile, is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason.

The Patriots currently have nine draft picks - first round (4th overall), second round, third round, third round (from the Falcons), fourth round, fifth round, seventh round ( from Titans), seventh round, seventh round (from Los Angeles Chargers).

According to sources, Patriots coach Bob Bicknell (Bob Bicknell), RB coach Taylor Embree (Taylor Embree), wide receivers coach Tyler Hughes (Tyler Hughes), assistant coach Key Keith Jones and wide receivers assistant coach Tiquan Underwood are both Patriots coaches who will leave in 2025.

— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) January 17, 2025

5. Attendance check: Two players on the Patriots' roster, center David Andrews and long snapper Joe Cardona, attended Vrabel's presentation. Vrabel approached them and hugged them after speaking.

Cardona said one thing stood out against Vrabel's team: toughness.

Patriots Hall of Famers Troy Brown (skills development coach) and Andre Tippett (executive director of community affairs) were among the notable alumni in attendance. Team president Jonathan Kraft was also present at Vrabel's announcement.

6. Lamond’s visit: Running back Lamond Stevenson was still in town last week, giving him a chance to see Vrabel for the first time since Vrabel was named head coach. Stevenson's 2024 season didn't unfold as he hoped, with 207 carries for 801 yards (3.9 ypc), seven touchdowns and an NFL-high seven fumbles.

" Vrabel was having a really bad season, and part of his inconsistent season had to do with inconsistent offensive line play, so to hear Vrabel say, "We have to focus on the defensive line. I think the best teams in the NFL right now are the ones with the best offensive lines that are changing the line of scrimmage. "

7. Chili pepper test: Safety Jabrill Peppers' jury trial is scheduled for Wednesday. Jabril Peppers was arrested in early October on strangulation and drug possession charges and pleaded not guilty. Both sides were in court for a final pretrial hearing on Jan. 10, where Judge Mark Coven made an evidence-based ruling on what would be allowed in a jury trial.

8. Vrabel’s rule: Vrabel said the Patriots won't have a long list of rules, but will start with "punctuality" and "respect." He also emphasized three themes for his players: Put the team first, know what to do, and play fast/aggressive.

"Our effort and finish will be the contract we sign with our teammates," he said.

9. This is what they said: "We're going to take the rights off our football team. We're going to take the rights to everything from the head coach to the position coaches, all the way down to the players. We're going to earn the rights to be here every day." -- Vrabel during an introductory press conference

10.Did you know? : Special teams player Brendon Schooler (first team) and cornerback Christian Gonzalez (second team) were named to the AP All-Pro team, joining punt returner Marcus Jones (2022, first team) joins special teams player Matthew Slater (2021, second team) and cornerback J.C. Jackson (2021, second team) as the last five New England players to earn it. Honorable player. Left guard Joe Thuney (2019, second team) is the most recent Patriots offensive player to be named an All-Pro.