Mike Vrabel is already putting his fingerprints on the Patriots backfield, and what we saw during voluntary practice yesterday suggests he's got a clear pecking order in mind. Rhamondre Stevenson led the group through drills with TreVeyon Henderson, Lan Larison, Terrell Jennings, Jam Miller, and Myles Montgomery rotating behind him—a six-man rotation that tells us plenty about how Vrabel plans to operate this offense.
The fact that Vrabel himself was coaching up the running backs during a voluntary session is the real story here. This isn't delegating to position coaches; this is a head coach who clearly views the backfield as foundational to whatever scheme he's building. That level of hands-on attention in May signals priorities. Stevenson's top-of-the-line positioning makes sense—he's the known commodity. But Henderson's presence in that second slot is worth watching. The Patriots are clearly evaluating whether Henderson can carve out a meaningful role in Year 2, and Vrabel's presence at the drill suggests he's genuinely invested in the answer.
The depth behind them—Larison, Jennings, Miller, and Montgomery—represents a mix of lottery tickets and situational players. None of these guys are household names, but that's kind of the point. Vrabel is building optionality. He's not betting everything on one back. This approach fits with how he's approached roster construction since arriving: multiple competing lanes, speed on the edges, downhill power when needed. The Patriots' rushing attack needs definition, and you don't get that in a vacuum. You get it by grinding through reps with your entire group, which is exactly what happened yesterday.
What matters now is execution. Voluntary workouts are fine, but we'll know real answers when pads go on in training camp. Still, the signal from Vrabel is unmistakable: the backfield matters, the competition is real, and he's not outsourcing the teaching. That's a much healthier starting point than where this team has been.