The New England Patriots have had quite the offseason after falling short in the Super Bowl. They cut ties with Stefon Diggs, then Mike Vrabel was exposed for allegedly having an affair with Dianna Russini, and Philadelphia Eagles star A.J. Brown is rumored to be heading to New England in a trade. The Vrabel news created lots of commotion and even affected the Patriots, as he missed Day 3 of the NFL Draft for counseling.
Former Super Bowl MVP Dexter Jackson isn’t sure that the saga is over and won’t cause any more distractions.
Dexter Jackson Makes Prediction on Mike Vrabel-Dianna Russini Situation
Jackson doesn’t see the end of the Vrabel and Russini saga anytime soon and thinks it may last throughout the season. It has affected the team and caused many distractions for the organization. Vrabel has had to do damage control at times in the offseason and could have to keep doing it for many more weeks.
“I can assure you that this situation has been a distraction for the Patriots,” said Jackson.
“It will probably last the whole year, and questions will be asked about it all season long.”
“This is a team that just had a great year,” he continued. “They have a young quarterback who came in and played well, and they are trying to win one more game this year than they won last season. But with this distraction, you have to think of how it’s going to affect not only their young quarterback, but other players and the coaching staff, too.”
The Patriots are going to have a target on their back as the reigning AFC champions. While the team will have its sights on getting back to the Super Bowl, Jackson predicts that it will loom over the team for the entire season. If more photos or stories keep dropping, it could cause issues.
“There are a lot of things going on right now with Coach Mike Vrabel,” Jackson added. “Some of the things that have been reported and brought to light over the few weeks have been surprising. As a guy who played in the NFL for 10 years, I can tell you that one of the first things that all head coaches tell the players throughout the year is to not engage in any kind of activity or behavior that will embarrass the team or become a distraction for the team.”
Vrabel’s leadership skills are in some hot water because of the distraction that he caused the organization. With the main goal of staying out of trouble for players, Vrabel couldn’t do that and put himself in a tough spot.
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While it may not have a major impact on trust, it’s likely going to follow the team. Only time will provide the answer to how long the Patriots and Vrabel will be dealing with the story.
According to PFSN’s Defense Impact Metric, the Patriots posted an impact score of 78.2 last season, ranking 12th in the league. For them to remain a contender, their defense has to reach the top-5 level they displayed in the playoffs.
