Vrabel sounds interested in more buying for Patriots in free agency
No matter how much the Patriots spend and who they spend it on, it’s clear that it’s Mike Vrabel’s call.
The Patriots may not spend to the level they did in 2025, but if and when they do, it'll be Mike Vrabel's call.
One interesting development out of the combine press conferences for both Vrabel and executive VP of player personnel Eliot Wolf, is that if it wasn't clear already, it is now: Vrabel is calling the shots. Wolf alluded to executing Vrabel's vision when it comes to building, shaping, and improving the Patriots roster. Vrabel, meanwhile, had arguably the quote of the day when asked whether he'd prefer the Pats to have more cap space entering free agnecy in March.
"I've never really tried to get focused [on that]," Vrabel said. "If I shop at Neiman Marcus or Nordstrom or something, I've gotten to the point now in my life where if I want something, I can usually buy it. I'm sure Richard Miller, Eliot and Matt Groh will work and do everything that they can to help us sign the players, with certain exceptions. I haven't even gotten that far. If you like something, you usually just try to buy it."
That's Vrabel telling us that if he wants a player, the Patriots will get the player, and do whatever they need to do in terms of accounting to make sure they secure the player. That doesn't mean Vrabel can just spend as much as he wants, as the Patriots will have a football budget that he needs to follow. But what Vrabel confirmed, clear-as-day, is that he will look at free agency with the mindset of buying something he likes with little-to-no restrictions.
The Patriots spent more than $314 million cash in the 2025 off-season, per Spotrac, as they focused on infusing the roster with immediate starters and high-end talent in Vrabel's first year. There's less of a need to land impact players and they won't need as high a volume of that, now that their culture is established and they're right back in the mix as an AFC contender. But they still have needs at critical spots on the roster, and in some cases for starting-caliber players. So, the hope is they don't rest on their laurels after making an improbable run to the Super Bowl.
Vrabel indicated that at least some spending is still on the table for the Patriots. And whether they do or not, that will be his final call.
