FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Quick-hit thoughts and notes around the New England Patriots and NFL:
1. Coaches/scouts unite: When Mike Vrabel inserted himself into a drill with Arizona State offensive tackle Max Iheanachor at the Sun Devils' pro day in late March, he was getting a firsthand feel for Iheanachor's core strength, contact balance and how well he takes coaching, among other things.
It has been an annual rite of March for Vrabel going back to his time as the Tennessee Titans head coach (2018-23), and even before then, as he turns from coach to hands-on college scout.
Now comes the next step in what Vrabel & Co. hope helps produce a home run 2026 draft class: meetings this week at Gillette Stadium in which Vrabel, his coaching staff, and the personnel department led by executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf and vice president of player personnel Ryan Cowden come together to finalize their draft board.
The Patriots own 11 picks in a draft that evaluators at last week's NFL annual meeting said isn't as deep as last year's, meaning it will be more challenging for teams to find the same caliber of prospect on Day 3 (fourth to seventh round). New England's top pick is No. 31, and if Iheanachor is on the board, Vrabel's work could ultimately be a deciding factor in whether the Patriots pick him.
"Maybe we trade up. Maybe we trade out. I don't know. But I love being able to work with Eliot and Ryan and their staff, and coaches, and try to bring that together," Vrabel said.
"I'm trying to bring the coach's perspective on a player together [with] the personnel side to bring the best person in there for our football team."
As part of the process, assistant coaches were assigned prospects to evaluate and, in some cases, interview. Their feedback will be a notable part of this week's meetings as it is married with the work of scouts who have been tracking prospects for a longer period of time.
Vrabel's on-field sparring with Iheanachor at Arizona State went viral on social media, although he doesn't understand why because he used to do the same thing in Tennessee and gets involved at every pro day he attends (similar to how he greets players after every game).
Wolf recalled how Vrabel had his shirt ripped during a prospect workout last year. That included him getting knocked on his backside by eventual No. 4 pick Will Campbell during a private workout at LSU.
It highlights one of the Patriots' themes of the week with the NFL draft (April 23-25; ESPN, ABC, the ESPN App) approaching.
"Mike loves watching tape, so that's helpful. He's a good evaluator," Wolf said last week on Sirius XM NFL Radio. "People think of Mike as a defensive coach, but I think he could coach any position and coach it well.
"He and our coaching staff are very involved in the process and identifying what kind of guys we need, and players he likes. He's aware of maybe we don't need all 'try hard' guys; we need some talent as well. It's a good process."
2. Gilmore reflects: Former Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore (2017-20) announced his retirement last week and, in a phone interview, reflected on his time in New England.
Proudest moment: "I had a lot of great teammates, a lot of great players I played with. A legendary coach I learned so much from. I had never been to the playoffs in five years [with the Bills]. Having an opportunity to go there and be successful individually and as a team was a great feeling. Seeing the work they put in -- guys like Tom [Brady], Patrick Chung, [Devin] McCourty, [Julian] Edelman -- it pushed me a lot more, too."
If he ranks game-clinching pass breakup in the AFC Championship Game vs. the Jaguars as his No. 1 play: "I think that was No. 2. The No. 1 would be the play in the Super Bowl [vs. the Rams] to clinch the game with an interception. But the play in the AFC championship was the harder play to make because he was running away from me. I kind of knew the play before it happened just from film study, but that was still harder."
Legacy: "I left it all out on the field. Hopefully, the red jacket, the gold jacket, that's the goal. My style of play, how I played -- mostly a man corner, covered the best guy each and every week, not too many guys can do that week in and week out."
What's next: "Right now I'm enjoying time with the family [wife Gabrielle; kids Sebastian, 11; Gisele, 9; and Storey, 5]. I want to get into scouting and have a couple opportunities there. And I kind of want to get into coaching, but I think I'm going to wait a little bit for that to be with my wife. I do a little real estate on the side, but just raising these kids and trying to get them on the right track and be successful."
3. SB rematch in opener? The defending Super Bowl champion Seahawks open the 2026 regular season Sept. 9, a Wednesday, and the Patriots are among a small group of teams who could be their opponent.
Chiefs owner Clark Hunt said at the NFL's annual meeting that his team won't be in that mix because of uncertainty whether quarterback Patrick Mahomes will be back from a torn ACL at that point. And with the Rams and 49ers locked into a Week 1 game in Melbourne, Australia, that leaves only the Patriots, Cardinals, Cowboys, Giants, Chargers and Bears.
Hard to imagine the league would put the rebuilding Cardinals in that spot, which further narrows the field. John Harbaugh's debut as Giants coach, along with the chance to grow quarterback Jaxson Dart's profile as an up-and-coming star, might be an underrated choice if the league wants to save Patriots-Seahawks for another prime-time spot a bit later in the season.
4. Passport possibility: The Patriots have two chances to play internationally in 2026 -- as opponents of the Lions (Munich) or the Jaguars (London).
The value a potential Patriots-Lions game could create as part of a Sunday morning TV package was noted by some at the annual meeting ... and why it's among the possibilities that could generate momentum in the coming month or so as the league finalizes its 2026 slate.
5. Planning preseason: More buzz at the NFL annual meeting for Patriots fans planning their August -- joint practices with the Eagles would tentatively be planned over two days; meaning any other possibility for practicing with another team, if that was of interest to New England, would be limited to a single day.
Of practices with the Eagles, Vrabel said: "They have a talented football team. I have a lot of respect for Nick [Sirianni], lot of respect for Howie [Roseman], Mr. [Jeffrey] Lurie. Just their consistency over the last four or five years, I felt like that would be a good opportunity for us to go against a really good football team."
6. Landry presence: The Patriots' voluntary offseason program begins April 20, but veteran edge rusher Harold Landry III has already been showing up at the team facility every day in recent weeks. Landry's production dropped off notably after a knee injury in Week 6 last season, with Vrabel sharing his belief that Landry can bounce back in his 10th NFL season.
"I think anybody that watched tape could see Harold before hurting his knee, and then after," he said, adding Landry is "going through the rehab process" and "works his tail off to get back."
7. Videos & Vrabel: It's been almost two months since the Patriots' season ended in Super Bowl LX, and Vrabel shared that he has enjoyed watching fan videos from the team's two home playoff games. The buzz of bringing the postseason back to Foxborough brought him pride, and hunger to do it again in 2026.
"That was unbelievable and so much fun," he said. "I just watch the reactions because that's the part that I really didn't get to appreciate coaching the game -- seeing the fan videos and that perspective."
8. Patriots Hall: The 23-member Patriots Hall of Fame Committee met Wednesday, and this year's three finalists should be announced this week, followed by a fan vote to select the one inductee.
Defensive lineman Julius Adams, tight end Rob Gronkowski, linebacker Dont'a Hightower, offensive lineman Logan Mankins, safety Lawyer Milloy, running back/special teamer Mosi Tatupu, kicker Adam Vinatieri and receiver Wes Welker were nominated.
Gronkowski is a heavy favorite, understandably so. The seniors committee, which was created to ensure older-era candidates aren't overlooked, meets in 2027.
9. Hard Knocks: With the Patriots scheduled to be on "Hard Knocks" in 2027, Vrabel kept his reaction to the announcement succinct. "Can't wait," he said, although it seemed to be oozing with sarcasm.
10. Did You Know: Gilmore is the only player in Patriots history to win the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year award (2019 season).