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FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Patriots coach Mike Vrabel said he is taking accountability for actions that have created a distraction for New England without addressing specifics about photos published recently of him with longtime NFL reporter Dianna Russini at an Arizona resort.
Vrabel spoke for just over seven minutes prior to the start of Thursday’s NFL draft. He vowed to prioritize his family by beginning counseling this weekend and stepping away from the team for the draft’s final day Saturday.
“I understand that there are questions. I take accountability for my actions, and the actions that caused a distraction to the people that I care most about – my family, this football team, the organization and our fans,” Vrabel said. “My previous actions don’t meet the standard that I hold myself to. They don’t.”
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.
On Thursday, he called his family and the Patriots the most important things in his life and said he was dedicated to taking steps to giving them “the best version of me.” He said he is committed to that process for “however long it takes.”
“And that’s what we’re going to do,” Vrabel said.
Asked about the timing of stepping away from the team on Saturday, Vrabel said it was solely family-related.
“When you prioritize your family first, and your job, that’s what’s required. And that’s what was necessary,” he said.
Vrabel said he was unsure if this would be the last time he planned to step away from the team.
The photos of Vrabel and Russini were taken in Sedona, Arizona, 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.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell reiterated in an interview with ESPN that the league is not looking into the situation.
“This is not a personal conduct policy as we know of today,” Goodell said Thursday. “It’s a personal matter and we’ll leave it at that.”
Goodell added, “I think the teams handle these matters when they are personal matters. They have a lot more information that can benefit people involved.”
The Patriots said in a statement earlier in the day that they support Vrabel stepping away from the team on Saturday.
“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,” the statement said in part. “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 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 included the Super Bowl runner-up’s one scheduled pick (No. 31) in Thursday’s first round. They traded that pick and one in the fourth round to Buffalo to move up and take Utah offensive tackle Caleb Lomu at No. 28. They have one pick each in rounds 2 and 3 on Friday.
But the bulk of their selections will be 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.
Vrabel was still present in the Patriots team facility Thursday after addressing reporters. Prior to meeting with them, he spoke briefly with season ticket holders at a draft night party. He also was spotted briefly sitting in the middle seat in the team draft room as they celebrated selecting Lomu.
Executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf and fellow personnel vice president Ryan Cowden will run the draft room with Vrabel away.
Wolf expressed confidence that remaining members of front office will be able to manage Day 3 with Vrabel away. Wolf will have final say on picks during Vrabel’s absence. Vrabel will still be in communication with the team via Zoom at times on Saturday.
“Not too worried about that as far just as the process we have in place. The people that we have in place,” Wolf said. “It’s going to be different without his presence there. But we feel really good about the people that we have in place to make up for it.”
The video in the player above is from a previous report.
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