It looks like Robert Kraft got lucky. The Patriots owner probably should have hired Mike Vrabel a year ago, when the former Titans coach was unexpectedly available. But he’d already made his ill-fated contractual promise to Jerod Mayo which left him stuck.

After trying to move on from the Bill Belichick era, the Patriots are now going right back to a successor much more like him.

The Patriots turned to Vrabel after their quick coaching search wrapped up just seven days after the team fired Jerod Mayo.