The final say on personnel matters for the New England Patriots isn’t going to be a tug of war between head coach Mike Vrabel and general manager Eliot Wolf, not based on the decision to release linebacker Sione Takitaki.
His release was confirmed on Wednesday, February 19 by ESPN’s Mike Reiss. He believes the move proves “Vrabel has the juice on personnel as Takitaki was one of Eliot Wolf’s ‘guys,’ and also a sign of a changing defensive scheme and how player fits are different now.”
The reference to a change in defensive scheme has long been mooted since Vrabel replaced Jerod Mayo. Vrabel and his chosen defensive coordinator Terrell Williams will alter the blueprint of what the Pats do defensively, particularly along the front seven.
Yet, the bigger implication of Takitaki being let go is what it says about who has the final say on the composition of the roster. As Reiss put it, Vrabel has the “juice,” instead of Wolf, whose personnel decisions hamstrung Mayo, but he still kept his job even after the arrival of a new coach.
Mike Vrabel Will Do Things His Way
Dumping an underperforming linebacker is more than mere team-building gymnastics. It’s a clear sign Vrabel will do things his way as he attempts to rebuild a team that’s gone 4-13 in each of the last two seasons.
Wolf couldn’t rebuild the roster, despite moves like signing Takitaki from the Cleveland Browns in 2024 NFL free agency. Wolf fronted the rebuild for rookie head coach Mayo, but several new acquisitions failed to make the grade.
Signings like offensive tackle Chukwuma Okorafor, who considered retirement mere months after joining the team. Okorafor was officially released by the Patriots on February 10, per ESPN’s Field Yates.
Other moves that didn’t work out included adding defensive tackle Armon Watts. He didn’t last the offseason before being cut and eventually landing with the New York Giants.
Watt and Okrafor were low-risk gambles that didn’t pay off, but a more notable acquisition like running back Antonio Gibson also struggled to make a dent. Gibson was given just 120 carries and 29 targets.
The Patriots must make better use of the veteran market if they’re going to experience a quick turnaround this year. Fortunately, Vrabel will have league-leading resources to go with his power over roster building.
Greater resources are available thanks to the NFL bumping the salary cap into the “range of $277.5 million to $281.5 million, way up from last year’s $255.4 million,” per Yates’ colleague Dan Graziano.
That decision means “the #Patriots are projected to have a league-high $126M in salary cap space—over $25M more than any other NFL team,” according to The 33rd Team’s Ari Meirov.
Vrabel will have the main say on how that money is spent, but most of it will surely go on overhauling a defense set for major schematic changes.
Sione Takitaki Release Confirms Patriots Defense Changing
The Patriots are saving “around $1.84 million” against the cap, per MassLive.com’s Mark Daniels. He also noted how Takitaki “was another free agent signing that didn’t work out. The team would’ve been better off retaining Mack Wilson.”
Both Takitaki and Mack Wilson fit the template for the defenses favored by Mayo and his predecessor Bill Belichick. They preferred big-bodied linebackers able to take on and shed offensive linemen, set hard edges, stuff the run and beat up receivers between the hashmarks.
Those linebackers patrolled behind bulky defensive linemen usually tasked with occupying double teams. Vrabel and Williams will look for different things, starting up front, where the Pats are likely to pursue lighter, more active players in free agency.
The change in philosophy puts a defensive tackle well known to ex-Detroit Lions defensive line coach Williams in play. A Dallas Cowboys edge-rusher who’s a potential steal could also be on Vrabel’s radar.
Further changes will be afoot at linebacker, where Patriots.com Staff Writer Evan Lazar anticipates the focus will be on “sideline-to-sideline range,” from “athletic” players who “move well laterally.”
Releasing 6-foot-1, 245-pound Takitaki shows the Patriots are beginning to move toward something new at linebacker. It’s a move set to rest on the ultimate authority and judgment of Vrabel, not Wolf.
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