2025 News and Rumors

[Southieinnc]

From all reports, everyone showed up. They were all in their shorts and shirts, no team stuff. League rules forbid it until legal OTAs and Mini-camps.

Everyone ran sprints, lifted some weights and were given lectures by the coaching staff.

Vrabel jokingly used the words "Voluntary" and "Voluntarily" thirteen times when speaking with the media. Someone raised the question, "WQhat if someone notifies the Players Association and says that this was not really voluntary. Vrabel almost laughed when he said, "I'll voluntarily deal with that, if someone complains." Warning??

Vrabel has already said, "It's on me. I have big shoulders and I'll carry the load. I'll take all of the blame if things go wrong."

It looks from outside like he's establishing his authority to every coach and players as well as the media. The Negative Nellies in the Boston area media have already felt the cold shoulder if they print or say something that is untrue or might be misconstrued and cause any kind of rift or problem in the locker room.

Very few players had anything to say when the Voluntary Day was over and most just smiled and shook their heads as they left Gillette.

The week prior to the draft Aprill 22-24 is the next Voluntary mini-camp. Think anyone will voluntarily stay home??

Here's what Vrabel said about it last week, via Phil Perry of NBC Sports Boston: “I write a letter voluntarily to the players to make sure that they voluntarily read it and voluntarily show up."