FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel didn’t make an appearance at the team’s pre-draft news conference Monday.
But according to one of the team’s front-office executives, he is going about his job as usual preparing for next week’s NFL draft despite recent scrutiny regarding the nature of his relationship with a reporter.
“Very involved. Business as usual,” Patriots vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf said when asked how much Vrabel had been involved with the team’s draft process. “I’d say he’s been in there with us this round probably a little more than he was in there last year. … He’s been in there. He’s been contributing. He’s watched a ton of the players.”
It was the first time a member of the team’s front office has spoken to reporters since the New York Post published photos of Vrabel and NFL reporter Dianna Russini of The Athletic at an Arizona hotel that have raised questions about the nature of their relationship.
Vrabel spoke with reporters in a news conference setting before last year’s draft but opted not to on Monday. Though reporters did bump into Vrabel, who briefly greeted them, during a tour of the team’s new facility after Wolf’s news conference had concluded.