NFL analyst explains why Mike Vrabel wasn’t snatched up after moving on from Bill Belichick

Mike Vrabel and Bill Belichick crossed paths in the past. Vrabel's previous work under the coach could get him a job after a decade and a half since he played his last snap for the New England Patriots. Of course, with Jerod Mayo, a one-and-done head coach, and Vrabel on the market, many are putting two and two together.

However, if the Patriots end up with Vrabel now, why didn't they simply choose Vrabel last season after he was fired from the Titans anyway? On Monday's edition of "Pro Football Talk," NFL analyst Mike Florio explained why the team did what they did.

[00:00:17] "You could interview Vrabel today if you wanted to, and he's a member of the team's Hall of Fame," Florio said.

"It makes too much sense for him not to be the Patriots coach. I remember last year when Belichick got fired, it's like, 'Why would it not be Vrabel?' Well, because they already had a contract in the drawer that we didn't know about that promised the job to Jerod Mayo." [00:00:53]

In other words, they had promised the job to Mayo, and after putting pen to paper, the move had already been made. Now, Drake Maye's Patriots will be working from scratch with no promises going forward after cutting ties with Mayo.

Mike Vrabel's interview with Patriots' rival adds pressure

Mike Vrabel at Cleveland Browns OTA Offseason Workouts - Source: Getty

If the Patriots are interested in Mike Vrabel, they now have added pressure to keep up. According to CBS Sports, the New York Jets have already interviewed Vrabel. While the first round of interviews appears to still be getting set up, the clock is ticking.

Sometimes, it only takes two rounds of interviews for a team to settle on a candidate. With several teams rumored to be interested in Vrabel on top of the Jets, the pressure to get the coach in one's building is ratcheting up.

As such, while the Jets have passed for now, other teams might not offer the Patriots the same luxury.

Vrabel and Pete Carroll are two heavyweight coaches available with previous ties to New England, and if the Patriots wish to get names from their past, the team may need to step up.

Will the New England Patriots lean on the past or take a shot on a brand-new coach from a different coaching tree?

If any of the above quotes are used, credit "Pro Football Talk" and H/T Sportskeeda.