FOXBORO -- Mike Vrabel is in as head coach in New England. That makes sense. That should excite Patriots fans because of the experience that he brings to the table, because of the clearly-defined standards he'll set.
But what is a little more muddy is how the front office will be handled now that Vrabel is officially on board. Eliot Wolf was in attendance at Vrabel's introductory press conference Monday, as was Matt Groh and several members of last year's personnel department. And Wolf was mentioned by Vrabel more than once, unprompted, during the proceedings.
Does that mean that Vrabel is open to a long-term arranged marriage with Wolf as the leader of the personnel department? Does it mean that Wolf is still the No. 1 decision-maker on that side of the building until a later date -- say, after the NFL Draft -- when Vrabel can insert someone he knows on a deeper level?
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Boston sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
Vrabel ended up on the outs in Tennessee, in part, because of a reported power struggle between him and former general manager Ran Carthon, who was tied to Vrabel after Jon Robinson was fired. Consider it one of many failed forced head-coach-and-front-office-czar partnerships strewn throughout the history of the league.
Vrabel did leave the door open for change when I asked him if former Titans front-office executive Ryan Cowden would be joining him in Foxboro, as Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports reported over the weekend and The MMQB's Albert Breer confirmed Monday.
MORE PATRIOTS COVERAGE
"Eliot and I will have conversations," Vrabel said. "And as that relates to the staff, like, nothing has been finalized. Nothing has been determined. You know, as with any staff, there's going to be turnover, there's going to be new coaches and new faces, some that I will have history with and some that I won't. That's what the interview process is.
"That's what we're going to do... You know, being able to sit down with a bunch of coaches and be able to get the best and the right fit around our players."
Patriots owner Robert Kraft made it clear when discussing Jerod Mayo's firing last week that he intended for Wolf and others to remain in the Patriots front office. Wolf and his right-hand man Alonzo Highsmith, Kraft explained, would even help with the interview process.
It's my understanding that Kraft has been impressed by the new system Wolf has tried to import in the last year, and he's hopeful that system will bear more fruit with additional time.
Based on Vrabel's commentary in his first full day on the job, he sounds like he is least -- at the moment -- open to the idea of Wolf's input.
What kinds of players is Vrabel looking for in his new gig, he was asked?
"Eliot is going to laugh," Vrabel said. "I'm going to say good ones. That's just an inside joke between him and I already just over the weekend and through the interview process."
What about roster control? Does Vrabel want final say?
"I'm just excited to get to sit down with Eliot and his staff," he said. "I've met more with Eliot over the weekend and then I have had conversations with him, but I need to sit down with his staff and figure out where we're at, what we need to do. I'm confident that those types of decisions are all going to, you know, sort themselves out."
How is Vrabel going to handle player relationships?
"I want to provide as many points of contact with the players so that they feel comfortable," he said. "If that's coming to me, great. If that's coming to Eliot, great."
🔊 Patriots Talk Podcast: EXCLUSIVE: Mike Vrabel on how he'll stop Patriots blame game: 'Blame me' | Listen & Subscribe | Watch on YouTube
Vrabel mentioned Wolf six times in all during his back-and-forth with reporters, and he seemed to defer to the executive vice president of player personnel. In some ways, treating Wolf like a key member of the organization in a public setting makes sense, even if that's not Vrabel's long-term vision.
Vrabel just took a job for an owner he respects, and the owner clearly has some level of affinity for Wolf and his ability to build a team. Additionally, the Patriots also would have to go through a formal hiring process, including satisfying the NFL's Rooney Rule, if the organization determined that someone other than Wolf was going to have final say on the roster.
Perhaps that will occur down the line. It certainly doesn't seem imminent. Vrabel's unsolicited mentions of Wolf on Monday made that clear.
Now that Vrabel is signed, sealed and delivered, the Patriots have made the key hire of their offseason. But how long his union lasts with Wolf, and what kinds of results they produce, are now the key questions hovering over the franchise.
The answers? To be determined.