Austin Hooper: Mike Vrabel is very clear about what he expects from players

Tight end Austin Hooper had a head start on his Patriots teammates when it came to adapting to the team's new head coach.

Hooper played for Mike Vrabel in Tennessee during the 2022 season and said "it was a tougher transition" than he expected. Hooper said he was used to playing for offensive coaches who "are typically more mellowed out" than coaches from the defensive side of the ball like Vrabel. He learned "you have to bring the energy and galvanize the group" as well as that Vrabel is going to make it very easy to understand what he's looking for from his players.

“Like any good boss, he’s going to clearly define what his employees need to do,” Hooper said, via Conor Ryan of Boston.com. “If you want to come along this journey, this is what’s expected. It’s something I carry with me.”

Hooper emphasized that you "should like your boss to demand a lot of you" and his teammates will have to learn the same lessons he did a couple of years ago.