Patriots owner Robert Kraft said it was Vrabel’s vision that stood out.
FOXBOROUGH, Massachusetts — When Mike Vrabel began his post-NFL playing career as an assistant coach at Ohio State in 2011, he had thoughts of one day returning to the New England Patriots.
He also knew that if that was ever going to happen, he first needed to leave Foxborough.
“I think it was important for me to go somewhere else, to start another coaching journey,” Vrabel said. “The opportunity at some point probably presented itself to be here coaching. But I feel like it was important for me to forge my own path somewhere else.