Dudes on Dudes with Gronk and Jules - Dudes on Mike Vrabel

Episode Date: December 27, 2025

We've got a bonus mini-episode for you this week! We're covering legendary player and now head coach of the New England Patriots, Mike Vrabel! Gronk and Julian Edelman discuss what makes Mike Vrabel so great and some of their favorite Vrabel stories.Support the show: https://hoo.be/dudesondudesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A decade ago, I was on the trail of one of the country's most elusive serial killers, but it wasn't until 2023 when he was finally caught. The answers were there, hidden in plain sight. So why did it take so long to catch him? I'm Josh Zeman, and this is Monster, hunting the Long Island serial killer, the investigation into the most notorious killer in New York, since the son of Sam, available now. Listen for free on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, wherever you get your podcasts.

Hello, I'm Jorge Ramos. This week, on the moment, we take a look at Venezuela's uncertain future in a conversation with two people who have directly advised U.S. presidents. Juan Gonzalez, during the Obama and Biden administrations, we're really good at invading countries. We're very bad at nation building. In Carlos de Rosillo, during Trump's, two terms. I can guarantee you that nobody in the Trump administration likes Delsi Rodriguez.

Listen to the moment with Jorge Ramos and Paola Ramos on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. A new year doesn't ask us to become someone new. It invites us back home to ourselves. I'm Mike Delarocha, a host of Sacred Lessons, a space for men to pause, reflect, and heal. This year, we're talking honestly about mental health, relationships, and the patterns we're ready to release.

If you're looking for clarity, connection, and healthier ways to show up in your life, Sacred Lessons is here for you. Listen to Sacred Lessons with Mike Deloach on the IHartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Hi, I'm Dr. Priyankawali. And I'm Hurricane de Bolu. It's a new year.

And on the podcast, Health Stuff, we're resetting the way we talk about our health. Which means being honest about what we know, what we don't know, and how messy it can all be. I like to sleep in late and sleep early. Is there a chronotype for that or am I just depressed? Health stuff is about learning, laughing, and feeling a little less alone. Listen on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. You know Roll Doll. He thought up Willie Wonka and the BFG.

But did you know he was a spy? In the new podcast, The Secret World of Roll Doll, I'll tell you that story, and much, much more. What? You probably won't believe it either. Was this before he wrote his stories? It must have been. Okay, I don't think that's true. I'm telling you.

I was a spy. Listen to the Secret World of Rolled Doll, starting January 19th on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Let's get on Mike Vrable. Mike Vrable, ladies and the clock. Hey, Jules, what's the first thing you think of when you hear to name Mike Rable? First thing that comes to my mind is just a tough guy. He's just a tough. How tough?

Actually, the first thing comes to my mind is an asshole. Asshole. Because he's just, I mean. A tough asshole. A tough asshole. Okay, there we go. We never played with Vrabes. But because of how legendary he was...

We've only heard stories. The stories were always about, like, three people. Vrable, Brusky, and Izzo. And, like, Braves was always at the helm of these crazy stories that just floated around the Patriots locker room. Busting balls. That comes to my head. Like, I always...

You always kind of remember hearing how Braves would get on to Brady and Brady would get on Braves and those wars at practice. What's the first thing that comes to your mind? A tough SOB, you know, a football player, a guy that has knowledge of the game as a player and as a coach. And he's from Ohio. And let me tell you, Ohio football is underrated. And you learn a lot about, you know, football and who you are,

you know, as a person as well when you grow up in the state. of Ohio. How do I know that? Because I played my senior year in Pittsburgh. And Pittsburgh was a big rival. Just the state of Pennsylvania was a big rival to the state of Ohio. You got the Pittsburgh versus Ohio, you know, whatever that, you know, all-star game was. And just have, you know, just are tough people. Tough players come out of, you know, come out of the state of Ohio and Pennsylvania. They're very similar. They're kind of underrated compared to, you know, you always hear about Florida, California, Texas. Oh, that's where all the stars come from.

All the tough guys come from, you know, the Upper East, you know, in the U.S., like Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York. But he's a football guy, football legend. Wait a minute. Wait a minute. Did you just try to throw New York football? Yeah, I threw New York in there. Did you just try to sneakily throw New York football in to tough guys?

Yeah, because I'm from Buffalo. And I went to, you know, like I said, I went to Pittsburgh. I'll let that slide. I'll let that slide. in your year. But yeah, Buffalo, they got some tough, tough assobs here. I'm telling you, they got, uh, they got me. They got my brother who played in the NFL, my other brother who played in the NFL too. And yeah, yeah, we're rolling, baby. We're rolling. But, uh, what, what's, what stands out to me when we were talking about him the other day,

though, is how he was drafted in the third round to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Yeah. You told me that fact. And it was kind of shocking to me, because I, thought he was a New England Patriot from day one because of just all the stories that you heard about him, just the way that he played the game when he was in New England and what he did for, you know, the Patriots as well. So I had absolutely no clue that he got drafted to the Steelers. Can you tell me how that happened as well, how he got to New England? Because you kind of were telling me a little bit. Well, he was a teamer. I mean, he played in Pittsburgh. I think he was drafted 97 was a special teamer.

And then I think once he became a free agent, Bill, like, really wanted him or something? Was that it? Yeah, so. Why does Bill have, like, this nag of just finding these white dudes that just want to play football, just work hard, and they're not so good at the moment. And then he just blossoms them up. Versetal guys. I think there's a guy sitting next to me like that.

I mean, me too, kind of. That's his project, Ninkovich. Nickovic was a long snapper. Welker. Welker. In Miami? I mean, what was he? Just kind of a punt returner?

Yeah, but I think he had 70 catches. He had a big year. He had a big year at Miami. Not like a huge year like he had in New England for all those years. But he had a decent solid year in Miami. No, but yeah, Mike was the guy that Bill always used to reference. Like, you think you're smart. You're not no frable.

Like, and that's when you know someone's a smart football player is when Bill's referencing him in motherfucking you. Mm-hmm. You know, like that was always kind of like one thing that stuck out. And then just hearing from like Jimmy Whalen, the training staff on how Vrable was in the locker room, like hell core. It was like him and Willie Mack and Brew. Like there was like the holy trinity of guys that everyone had to walk through that kept everyone accountable. And I'm really, you know, I'm pretty excited. I'm excited for this new generation of Patriots.

Now with that said, I still think the whole Mayo situation. that he got the short end of the stick on this. And I feel terrible for him. And I think he's going to do well. But like that really wasn't set up to to really succeed. Not at all. I think it was a little bit unfair. But shout out to Mayo because he's a great coach.

He knows the game of football tremendously. And, you know, I just think that it wasn't set up properly for him. And I feel like he's going to have some success in the future, you know, with another organization and possible. be another head coach down the road, you know, once he gets his foot back on the gas pedal. But Vrabel coming in now, like, all this stuff that you hear, keeping guys accountable,

like, he's going to be the first doing it. And he can, he can get away with saying things to guys the way he says it because he did it. He played it. And he's just as smarter as the guys that coached him at it. So, like, when you have. have all those things. And he's a burly motherfucker. Like, he's a big man. When you shake his hands, his hands wrapped to your wrist. He's got big ass hands.

Man strength. Man strength. I still think he got four or six plays in him. You think he could play right now? Four or six plays. Yeah, four to six plays. Like, you know that offensive package, the New England Patriots had for him.

And talking about that offensive package, I think he had 10 catches his whole entire career for 10 touchdowns. What a fucking. What a ratio from catch to, is 100% best of all time. Insane. And that's just how smart of a player he was is that he knew how to get open on the offensive side of the ball

and on top of it on the defense side of the ball. I mean, just creative and just how good he was, just knowing the game. You know what makes me so sad, though? What's sad? What makes you sad? Now you're making me sad. No, it makes me sad because we always hear about the stories about Brady

when he was like the young guy in the team and how Rable and Bruske and all these guys used to like motherfuck him. It was a complete, and picked on Tom. And picked on him. It was a completely different Tom that we played with. So like we, and like you couldn't, there was only a couple guys that really could jaw with Tom, but everyone was so scared to do it. And Tom would be hungry to jaw with people, like talk shit.

But like everyone was so scared to talk shit to Tom because he was already Tom by then. You know, like it was always makes me like, man, I wish we got to see them in those early stages where you were more kind of part of the boys. instead of him being like the older brother guy figure. You understand? And Vrable was like that older brother figure to Tom. Yeah. And we didn't get to see any of that. We got to see the time where he was our older brother.

And it would have been amazing to be a part of that crew. But we're just the second, you know, era of the New England Pages. But there were so many times, like you said, in the training room and the coaches that were around Vrabel, like, oh, you would have loved the guy so much. You would have loved to play with him. Yeah. He gives it all his, he gives it his all out on the. field. I mean, he's a guy that you want to be friends with as well in the locker room because he's just fun to be around, but also at the same time, he's going to go all out for you out on the

field. I mean, he was a grinder. I mean, gritty, great size as a player. And he was an inside, outside threat as a player out there out in the field. And I think that's why Bill loved him so much because how versatile he was, a special teamer could play inside backer and outside backer. And when Tom, when Bill gets a guy like that, he utilizes their skill. and so many different aspects of the game. And he makes you a tremendous a player and he blossoms you like no other. And that's why Bill loves those type of guys

when he can get him in free agency. 1,000%. Think about it. Like, he's played on every phase of the game at a high level in an important game. He's been a teamer. So like when he's addressing the team and he's watching fucking the film

or having like a highlight thing that he's probably presenting the team, he can break down guy for guy because he's done it at the pro level. On defense, he knows everything about defense because he basically was in the school of doctorates on the defense through Belichick, learning through him, and then actually being on the field and experiencing it

is another way he gets to coach guy. And then in offense, like, yeah, he was on a package or two. But I remember going on the other side of the ball when I had to play corner, like even being in those meeting rooms for the little amount of time that I was, it opened up my mind so differently on how I thought about offense when I went back to offense

and how I was attacking the defense. He's done that on offense. So, like, he can break down the whole game and he's a masculine figure that's going to make you do it right. And if you don't, he's going to motherfucker get rid of you. He's going to make people accountable.

That's how it was. The Patriot way that it was developed through these guys. I mean, and just talking about his knowledge of the game and just the mastermind. he has within the rulebook of the NFL as well. Remembering the 2019 playoffs,

Vrabel intentionally took a 12 man on the field penalty just to keep Brady off of the field. I mean, he kind of outplayed Belichick in that situation because Belichick was the master of knowing the rules inside and out and using that to his advantage. And this is a time when Vrabel used it to his advantage and it was against the mastermind coach Belichick. I learned that pretty incredible by him to do that.

I learned about that little mastermind bullshit is when we went to the Kentucky Derby one year. And he fucking was, he was my handicapper for the horses. And I made like 20 grand. Like, Rable loves like that kind of shit. We were sitting there and I'm, I have no clue on how to gamble these horses. And Raibs is over here. He got his dip in. I think he had a cigarette, maybe a shot or two in him.

And he's fucking. A cigarette. Yeah, he was smoking sigs with a dip in. I'm not joking. I think I love this guy now. And we go and we go to the little thing where you have to put your shit in. And I'm like, Ray's what I do. He's like, don't worry, Edelman, I got you.

You know, he fucking puts him on there. We hit like a three thing parlay or something. He's just a smart guy. He's a smart guy that, like, can beat you up. What's the biggest thing in year one that he has to emphasize in New England? What do you think, Jules? Well, you got to get some linemen. Mm-hmm.

He got to get some linemen. It's a good point right there. He got a they got a whole lot of money to spend. Now, knowing Mike through the years that I've known him, I'm sure he took this job knowing that he is going to be able to spend some money. He's in a great situation heading into his first year. Obviously, he's got Drake May, who's an unbelievable quarterback. He's going to develop him to best of his potential, no doubt about that.

Who's he bringing in an OC? I would say Josh McDaniel. I would love to see Josh McDaniels go there, but he has to go through the whole process. Maybe he has a guy or two out there that he's thinking about bringing in, but he's going through all that hiring process interviewing right now. I think that would be great. But Josh McDaniels would be the best fit. Josh, Josh ain't going anywhere.

He ain't. And he loves it there. I believe Josh is one of the best offensive coordinators in the league as well. I mean, he knows how to develop players. He helped develop me. He developed you, develop me, put me in the right situations all the time. when I was in New England. He knows how to relate to guys as well,

which is really good. I mean, you need that, you know, with these young bucks these days. I mean, he made Mac Jones a pro bowler. Mm-hmm.

And his rookie year. And then he left and then ain't no pro bowler from there on out. No, there hasn't been. Hasn't been. I'll contribute all that to, to most of that to McDaniels. McDee's.

McDees. I like that name. I never heard that. I don't know. What about Vrable? He took Ryan Tanyhill. out of Miami. Everyone thought he was going to be out of the league, and he basically made him into a pro bowler. Yeah.

Basically got the number one seed in the playoffs and almost made the Super Bowl, you know, a couple years with him too. So he knows how to develop quarterbacks. He knows how to get the best out of guys because he brings that type of energy, you know, on the field in the meeting rooms to get the best out of players. And that's why I hear about Brable. And that's why people love playing for him out of the guys that I know in Tennessee. I think he just feels safe when you're around him. I feel safe. I feel like whenever he was, whenever we hang out, we've gone out and done things together.

I just feel safe. Mm-hmm. He's just burly. And he's also got the wit and like the strategy to like if something, some shit were to happen in like a bar or something. Like he'd know an escape route, maybe take down like seven, eight people himself and then get us like, he just feels safe with a guy like Rabel. He's the guy you want your daughter to marry. I don't know about that. Oh, all right.

All right. Well, I like when you're saying you feel safe around. I mean, you want your daughter to marry someone? She feels safe around. So you check me there, Jules. Nah. Man, I'm excited for them. I'm sad for Mayo.

This is like a, this is really like one of those things where it's like a divorce. This is, I can't, New England keeps on putting me in these goddamn divorces. I feel like a kid that's had like five divorced parents. What can you expect? Wayne Moore. Well, when Bill, Brady, that divorce. Oh, yeah. Now, you know, Mayo, freaking Braves, that divorce, there's like fucking hell of, because we're all like intertwined and it's kind of like incestual. You're kind of like the red-headed stepchild that's just been there throughout the whole time. That's just takes all the beatings. But in the end, you're going to

still be standing there. Make it tough. It does make you tough. Makes you tough. Man, and that's why you're the toughest guy. I know, Julie. Also. I'd be crazy to say that, yeah, our last game with Tom Brady, Brable beat us. That's why Vrable's back. That's why he's back. If he didn't win that game. And I have his pleats over there.

If he didn't win that game, he might not be back. He might not be the head coach of the New England Patriots. Yeah, maybe he wouldn't. Because maybe he... He sent Tom Brady packing in his last game as a New England Patriot. That's probably his greatest. That's probably what he said. The first line in the...

the interview. Did he say that? No, I'm just saying I would. But hey, Mr. Kraft, who sent Tom packing? I bet you he said that. I did. Hire me. Hire me now. Braves has no filter where he probably would say shit like that. He's the only player to have two touchdowns in a sack in a game, offense and defense. I mean, his versatility. Is there any other coach out there that you think could beat up, Rable? I think a good fight would be Dan Campbell and him. Oh, but. But, But that's a good point. I'm taking Braves because Braves D-N. Campbell, he was a tight end.

Yeah. So what? What are you saying about tight ends, Jules? They're just not that tough. They're not as tough as D-Eads. I mean, you're one of one, I agree with you.

Tight-ins ain't as tough as D-Ns. D-Ns are beastly, man. The ends are huge. You got to be fearless as a D-Miko Rions. He could be in there. They all say McDermin is like a wrestler. It could be. Iowa rest.

But I'm, I think Braves is a wrestler too. And Braves used to go against fucking Steve Neal all the time, which Steve Neal was world champion. So Brab's already got a little in on that. So I think he's, I think Braves is taking, it's just weight, weight class on McDermott. And he may have the skill technique, but Rable would swallow him.

Oh, shit. What kind of dude is Mike Vrable? I mean, he's stud. No doubt about it. His football IQ's up there, the pedigree. He's also a wizard. He does look like. Like, he also has the best chin.

He does. I mean, he's got the best chin in football other than like the coach coward. Like he's taking that. Having a nice chin's a stud. 1,000% like he looks like the Ohio guy. When you put Ohio guy in dictionary for like recruit, it's like big white guy, big chin. Looks like Mustafa from fucking Beauty and the Beast. Yeah.

Mm-hmm. I never seen Beauty in the Beast. Or is that one? So I don't know. Gustav. you know Gustav or something yeah

never seen it freak I mean he he had like man strength that's what everyone always talked about his man strength dog

he's definitely a dog no doubt he could be a locker room guy I was thinking whiz I was gonna go with whiz I mean just how clutch he was in situations

and just how knowledgeable he was I wouldn't go to dude's he's playing offense he's a dude in Patriot world like if in Bizarro

world, which is not really like everywhere else where like being an asshole and bullying is like being positive there. So, you know what I mean? That's positive because it makes you accountable. So I wouldn't put him in the overall category of dudes do. I would go on three. What do you think? Let's go on three.

One, two, three. Whiz. A decade ago, I was on the trail of one of the country's most elusive serial killers. But it wasn't until 2023. when he was finally caught. The answers were there, hidden in plain sight. So why did it take so long to catch him? I'm Josh Zeman, and this is Monster,

hunting the Long Island serial killer, the investigation into the most notorious killer in New York since the son of Sam, available now. Listen for free on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, wherever you get your podcasts. This week, on the moment, we take a look at Venezuela's uncertain future in a conversation with two people,

who have directly advised U.S. presidents. Juan Gonzalez, during the Obama and Biden administrations. We're really good at invading countries. We're very bad at nation building. In Carlos de Arrosillo, during Trump's, two terms. I can guarantee you that nobody in the Trump administration likes Del Cid Rodriguez. Listen to the moment with Jorge Ramos and Paola Ramos on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcast, or whatever you get your podcast. A new year doesn't ask us to become someone new.

It invites us back home to ourselves. I'm Mike Delarocha, a host of Sacred Lessons, a space for men to pause, reflect, and heal. This year we're talking honestly about mental health, relationships, and the patterns we're ready to release. If you're looking for clarity, connection, and healthier ways to show up in your life, sacred lessons is here for you.

Listen to Sacred Lessons with Mike Delocho on the IHart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Hi, I'm Dr. Priyanko Wali. And I'm Hurricane de Bolo. It's a new year. And on the podcast, Health stuff we're resetting the way we talk about our health.

Which means being honest about what we know, what we don't know, and how messy it can all be. I like to sleep in late and sleep early. Is there a chronotype for that or am I just depressed? Health stuff is about learning, laughing, and feeling a little less alone. Listen on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. You know, Roald Dahl. He thought up Willie Wonka and the BFG. but did you know he was a spy?

In the new podcast, The Secret World of Roald Dahl, I'll tell you that story, and much, much more. What? You probably won't believe it either. Was this before he wrote his stories? It must have been. Okay, I don't think that's true. I'm telling you, the guy was a spy.

Listen to the Secret World of Rolled Doll, starting January 19th on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human. Thank you.