Now comes the real intrigue.
Yes, Mike Vrabel is back in Foxborough. As expected. A week after Jerod Mayo was fired just minutes after completing his one-and-done season as Bill Belichick’s successor, the New England Patriots made it official on Sunday and named Vrabel as the new coach.
So much for a long, exhaustive search. There was no forest of trees to shake. No bevy of bushes to beat. No search firms, no second interviews, no need to check more references.
Bob Kraft, the charismatic Patriots owner, got his man.