FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Quick-hit thoughts and notes around the New England Patriots and NFL:
1. Vrabel's camp: The Patriots hold their first training camp practice Wednesday under new head coach Mike Vrabel, so what can fans and players expect?
Ben Jones knows. He played center under Vrabel with the Tennessee Titans (2018-2022), serving as a two-time captain and experiencing some of his greatest NFL success with Vrabel at the helm.
One thing the 36-year-old Jones said fans can anticipate is an attempt to make a personal connection with them.
"I feel like his interaction with fans is special. He takes time, talks to kids, signs autographs a lot of the days. I know a lot of head coaches don't spend that much time with the kids and fans," he said.
"I have three kids and they were always welcome anytime. My daughter still calls and FaceTimes him all the time; anytime we're playing sports, she'll be like, 'Send that to Coach Vrabel.' So he has a relationship with his guys, and he builds a relationship with fans and their kids, especially. You can tell kids mean a lot to him."
As for what takes place on the field, Jones highlights one theme: details.
"Everything has a purpose," he said. "You're not just going out there to bang heads every day to see who is the toughest guy. And he preaches that in meetings that the coach -- [players] should be able to ask them, 'Why are we doing this? What does this help us with? How can we attain our goals from it?' So, every person is held accountable.
"You're not just going out there filling a sheet with drills that don't carry over to team [portion of practice]. ... And you're not just going out there doing the same drills every day."
If it mirrors how Vrabel approached training camp in Tennessee, which is likely, there will also be a mix of physical work and scaled-back practices. One of the things Jones said he appreciated about playing for Vrabel is how Vrabel cared for players' health, balancing the intensity of physical/mental stress with making sure there were enjoyable moments.
"You think he's some hard-nosed tough guy that played with Belichick through those years and won those Super Bowls, but he is very detailed on how the body recovers. He puts together a plan with trainers, equipment guys, weight room.
"His whole goal is to win games, not to win camp. ... I think that approach to it is a lot different from most everybody else. Most everybody else is, 'We have to be a tough, physical team right away.' He knows, 'We want a tough team when it comes Week 1 through Week 18. We don't need to beat everybody up early in camp.'"
One example of how Jones said Vrabel achieved that with the Titans was not having offensive and defensive linemen yards apart, which eliminated contact/collisions but allowed linemen to work on hand placement, feet and drive.
Then, of course, there were the times it was full go and Vrabel put on a blocking pad and inserted himself into a drill.
"He's very hands-on, because he knows what it's supposed to feel like, he knows what he wants it to look like. So if a guy has been struggling on a certain block in practice, or he wants it to look a different way, it's not uncommon to see him bouncing into drill to drill ... because he wants to show them, 'This is what it's supposed to look like.'
"Anytime he would come in our drill, we made sure we lit him up. The idea was 'maybe he won't come down here tomorrow.' Just gave him a little extra hit and he used to give us a hard time by saying, 'You're all just trying to take advantage of me.'"
2. Farmer file: Three questions with Florida State football general manager Darrick Yray on defensive tackle Joshua Farmer, the Patriots' fourth-round pick (No. 137):
What should those who follow the Patriots know about him?
"You're getting a tough individual, a tireless, hard worker. He's relentless in his attitude and approach. He has the ability to respond to adversity, and has done that all throughout his life. I know it means something to him that he is able to play for [New England defensive line coach] Clint [McMillan], who was the coach who offered him at Florida State."
Having lost both of his parents, what have you witnessed being around him that reflected his approach to adversity?
"His brothers and the rest of his family, his grandma specifically, have played a pivotal role in his life. There are also influential coaches that he's had strong relationships with -- his high school coach, Corey Fuller, who was a nine-plus-year NFL veteran who ended up being on our staff a little later in his career, and Odell Haggins, who is a longtime tenured staff member here at Florida.
"Josh is a loyal individual; once he trusts you, you're in the family. You're talking about a young man who took time out of his day to write a bunch of thank-you cards [to staff] after the combine, and I still have the one he wrote me on my desk."
How would you describe his play style?
"First of all, the effort stands out. You watch him on tape, the ability to two-gap, chase the ball down. He's going to be physical. He plays with great leverage, and has the ability to have a quick first step and be able to penetrate. But he also has the ability to hold up against the run."
3. Rookies roll in: On Saturday, Patriots rookies reported for training camp, with running back TreVeyon Henderson finalizing his fully guaranteed four-year contract the day before as the last New England draft pick to sign.
A holdout was never a serious consideration, according to sources familiar with the negotiation, as the sides committed to taking a patient approach on how much of the contract would be guaranteed based on what happened with other second-round picks around the NFL. When contracts for other second-rounders were finalized across the league on Friday, Henderson's deal came together quickly.
Opinion/analysis: Not seeing WR Stefon Diggs as part of the PUP/NFI lists suggests his recovery from a torn ACL is progressing ... as he appears to be on track to be on the field for Day 1 of training camp. https://t.co/nUaxX0LRq2
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) July 19, 2025
4. Big T status: One of the top storylines when the Patriots begin training camp will be whether first-year defensive coordinator Terrell Williams is present after remaining away in the spring following a "health scare." Vrabel hinted at the end of spring practices that things were trending in that direction when he said, "He'll be here soon and [we're] excited about that."
Among other things, it would lessen the burden on inside linebackers coach Zak Kuhr, who was handling Williams' in-person role in the spring.
5. Jones helps Wilson: As a proud University of Georgia alum, Ben Jones returns to campus each spring and summer and offers himself as a resource to players. Patriots third-round pick Jared Wilson has taken him up on the offer.
"Through the draft process and OTAs, I probably talked to Jared a couple times a week. I sat in a lot of meetings with him [virtually], so if he had questions through the OTAs about getting him ready for training camp, I was there," Jones said.
"It was more of a mentor role and just letting him know, 'This is what camp looks like, how many reps you're going to take, what a normal day is as a center-guard in this offense.' You have to be ready to play anything with the 1s, 2s, 3s -- every day can change, so you have to be ready for your opportunity."
Jones said the setup fit nicely because just as he wants to see Bulldog alums succeed, he feels similarly about Vrabel and several assistants on his staff.
6. They said it: "It's probably the best camp I've ever been a part of as far as how the offensive and defensive line work against each other." -- Patriots offensive line coach Doug Marrone, in his 32nd year of coaching, on what he experienced during spring workouts (via "Forged in Foxborough")
7. Scarnecchia's role: Longtime Patriots assistant coach and team Hall of Famer Dante Scarnecchia was brought in to speak to the team's rookie class about the history of the organization, which he knows as well as anyone from his 34 years. That was one of several notable nuggets from the second episode of "Forged in Foxborough."
"This is a hell of a place, fellas. And a hell of a lot different from when I first got here," Scarnecchia told them.
8. Elite Patriots: ESPN's annual top-10 position series, with national reporter Jeremy Fowler polling more than 70 executives, coaches and scouts, showed how the Patriots still have significant ground to make up to return to the upper tier of the NFL.
Cornerback Christian Gonzalez (sixth) was the team's highest-ranked player at his position and the only Patriot to land in the top 10 at any spot. Tight end Hunter Henry was the lone honorable mention, while cornerback Carlton Davis III, off-ball linebacker Robert Spillane and safety Kyle Dugger were the only players in the "also receiving votes" category.
9. Paw-triots: Three animal shelters will be featured on-site for the team's first practice Wednesday as part of a newly launched "Pawtriots" program, an initiative focused on giving dogs a chance to find their forever homes.
Patriots players will escort dogs onto the field before practice, giving new meaning to the "dog days of training camp."
10. Did you know? ESPN Analytics gives the Buffalo Bills the best chance to win their division of any NFL team -- at 66%.