04/23/26 05:12:00
Printable Page
04/23 16:16 CDT Patriots say they support Mike Vrabel's decision to miss final
day of NFL draft to seek counseling
Patriots say they support Mike Vrabel's decision to miss final day of NFL draft
to seek counseling
By KYLE HIGHTOWER
AP Sports Writer
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) --- The New England Patriots said Thursday that they're
being respectful of Mike Vrabel's personal life and support him seeking
counseling and not being with the team for Day 3 of the NFL draft following the
publication of photos of the coach and longtime NFL reporter Dianna Russini at
an Arizona resort.
"The New England Patriots fully support Mike Vrabel's decision to prioritize
his family first, as well as his own well-being," the team said in a statement
released before the first round of the draft. "Mike has been open with us about
his commitment to being the best version of himself for his family, this team
and our fans, and we respect the steps he is taking to follow through on that
commitment.
"We are confident in the leadership and communication Mike has established with
our personnel staff throughout this pre-draft process. While he will not be
present at the facility on Saturday, we know the draft evaluations are complete
and Eliot Wolf and his personnel staff are prepared to execute our draft as
planned this weekend."
Vrabel said at a news conference earlier this week that he's had "difficult
conversations with people I care about," including his family, his coaching
staff, team officials and players, following the publication of the photos by
the New York Post.
The photos of Vrabel and Russini were taken in Sedona before the annual NFL
meetings that began in Phoenix on March 29, according to the Post. The NFL has
said it is not investigating Vrabel's behavior. Vrabel and Russini are both
married. Russini resigned from The Athletic last week.
Vrabel declared his intension to sit out the final day of the draft in a
late-night statement Wednesday.
The Patriots entered the draft holding 11 picks. That includes the Super Bowl
runner-up's one scheduled pick (No. 31) in Thursday's first round. They have
one pick each in rounds 2 and 3 on Friday.
But the bulk of their selections will be on Saturday when Vrabel won't be in
the draft room. That's when they are scheduled to select twice in the fourth
round, once in the fifth, four times in the sixth and once in the seventh round.
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL
|
