The Patriots are just locked in! And with Stefon Diggs signing, a new kind of energy has pumped them up. Actually, the drive to have a better season started early in the offseason when the Patriots hired Mike Vrabel as head coach. Ever since Vrabel brought in Drake Maye, this team hasn’t been the same. The strategy, lineup, mindset, and locker room have all changed. And as the head coach eyes the upcoming season to be their best, he knows there’s a lot to work on—starting with the D-line.

The HC appeared on Chris Long‘s podcast, Green Light with Chris Long, on Thursday. When Long, who was a Patriot during the 2016 season, asked Vrabel about the defensive line and who’s going to be his next Jeffrey Simmons, Vrabel broke down what’s going wrong and what needs to be fixed. While explaining the type of defender he’s looking for, Mike Vrabel said, “Somebody that’s disruptive, that’s creating a tone, setting the tone, creating a standard of what it is to play with speed, violence, physicality, effort, and relentlessness.” Those are huge expectations, but that’s exactly what he’s after. Jeffrey Simmons, one of Vrabel’s guys from the Titans, sacked 5 QBs last season along with 41 solo tackles.

And talking about struggle, Mike added, “You look at, you’ve got to have guys up front that are going to combat some of these players on defense, who’s going to block some of these premier players that get drafted high. And you know that that’s always the struggle that I find is who’s going to be the guy that stands up to the on the other side.” The Patriots under Jarod Mayo faced struggles in tackling, run fits, allowing third down conversions, and, of course, the injuries to Barmore and Matthew Judon.

Vrabel also added that he and the team are excited about what Milton’s going to bring and are looking forward to Christian Barmore making a strong comeback. Plus, he’s eager to see Keion White continue improving his technique. Looking back at the Patriots’ defense, they ranked 22nd in the entire league. Their average yards allowed per game? A rough 342.9 last season. And that’s not enough? The Patriots’ defense allowed 47 touchdowns. Compared to Vrabel’s Titans, who were only behind the Eagles in defense, that’s a massive gap. So yeah, asking Vrabel about fixing the D-line was crucial.

But while zeroing in on shoring up the defense, the franchise isn’t forgetting to make the offense equally strong and explosive. We saw a bold move in that direction with the high-profile signing of Stefon Diggs. Curious why the HC brought such a dynamic playmaker on board. He broke it all down with passion and clarity on the same podcast.

Why did Mike Vrabel’s Patriots sign Stefon Diggs?

When Chris Long asked why he signed Diggs, Mike Vrabel said, “We’re supporting, uh, Drake and supporting the football team. And again, this is a highly competitive, confident receiver who’s produced throughout his career in multiple ways.” And if we look at Stefon Diggs’s performance over the years, his reception-per-yard average is an impressive 12.2. After playing 144 games throughout his career, Diggs has made 857 receptions on 1,241 targets, racking up 10,491 yards. And the most interesting part? Diggs has scored a total of 70 TDs across three franchises.

Getting back to Vrabel and Chris Long, the HC added, “[He’s] good at the catch point. He’s been good in the red zone. There’s a play style to him that I’ve always appreciated and that we want to continue to enhance and make sure that he’s doing things to help us.” He also mentioned that it was Diggs’s confidence in their conversations that convinced him to bring the wide receiver on board. Diggs has signed a three-year, $69,000,000 contract with the Patriots.

Now, all eyes are laser-focused on the 2025 NFL Draft, and the anticipation couldn’t be higher. With Mike Vrabel’s Patriots holding the coveted 4th overall pick, the entire league is buzzing with speculation. Will they go for a powerhouse defensive weapon to fortify their lineup? Or will they snag an explosive offensive playmaker to complement their fresh, reenergized roster?