Mike Vrabel let Travis Hunter know about his own two-way talent when two met at Combine
There is a growing sentiment that Hunter, who won the Heisman Trophy after a dynamic season as a star receiver and corner for the Colorado Buffalos, could fall to New England at fourth overall in the upcoming NFL Draft. He's listed as a defensive back at the Combine, but given his explosiveness on the offensive side of the ball, he should also get some looks at receiver at the pro level.
Vrabel knows a thing or two about bringing it on both offense and defense. While the former linebacker didn't play as much offense as Hunter, Vrabel was a touchdown machine for the Patriots in the red zone, catching a dozen touchdowns over his career.
He made sure Hunter knew about those catches when the Patriots met with the two-way star in Indianapolis.
"I'm sure Travis doesn't even know, but we were kind of jawing back and forth as he left last night," Vrabel told NFL Network on Thursday. "And I said, 'You're not the only one that played two ways. There were some other guys that did this too,'" Vrabel said on NFL Network. "He kind of like looked at me, and we laughed."
Vrabes knows a thing or two about playing offense and defense 🤣
📺: #NFLCombine on NFLN pic.twitter.com/Hsdzk4dXNY
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) February 27, 2025
If Hunter does end up with the Patriots, he's already got a pretty good idea of what to expect from his head coach.
Travis Hunter's two-way threat
Hunter made a name or himself and became one of the most dynamic players in college football as a wide receiver and cornerback at Colorado. His star power on both sides of the ball earned him the Heisman Trophy, and that wasn't the only award he took home in 2024.
After catching 96 passes for 1,258 yards and 15 touchdowns for the Buffalos last season, Hunter received the Biletnikoff award as the country's best college receiver. On defense, he had four interceptions, 11 passes defended, and 35 tackles, which earned him the Bednarik award as the nation's top defensive player.
Hunter would be a solid addition to the New England secondary and give the Patriots a strong one-two punch at corner along with Christian Gonzalez. He'd also potentially boost New England's receiving corps, which had an extreme lack of talent during the 2024 season.
Hunter expressed a desire to play both sides of the ball when chatting with the media at the Combine.
"Nobody has done it, but I feel like I've put my body through a lot," he said. "I do a lot of treatment; people don't get to see that part, what I do for my body to make sure I'm 100 percent each game. But I feel I can do it because nobody has done it. And I know I can do it."
Vrabel made sure Hunter knew that somebody had done it when the two sides met.
Mike Vrabel's offensive resume
While Vrabel was a first-team All-Pro linebacker for the Patriots, he also came through whenever the team asked him to become a pass-catcher in the red zone. All 10 of his regular-season receptions went for touchdowns, and Vrabel added two other receptions for two more touchdowns in the postseason.
If Hunter wasn't aware of Vrabel's offensive prowess, the youngster certainly does now. And if he does end up with the Patriots, it's something Vrabel won't let him forget.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Boston Globe
2 hours ago
- Boston Globe
Lots of scoring, Maye gets picked, and Stevenson's problem resurfaces in Patriots intra-team scrimmage
'Who can work with somebody maybe they didn't work in previous practices?' he said before the scrimmage began. 'I'm not sure how many lineups stay the same over the course of a 17-game schedule. I think this is a great opportunity for these guys to have fun and compete.' Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Each coach also picked three captains for his respective squad. Kuhr tapped Maye, linebacker Christian Elliss, and safety Jaylinn Hawkins; while Brown chose tight end Hunter Henry, special teamer Brenden Schooler, and safety Jabrill Peppers. All have a strong chance of getting voted captain come the regular season. Advertisement Vice president of football operations and strategy John Streicher controlled the scoring, with White winning, 47-38. The offense earned points for big gains, touchdowns, third-down conversions, and efficiency. The defense earned points for limited offensive gains, tackles for loss, offensive penalties, takeaways, and third-down stops. 2. Running back Rhamondre Stevenson has preached the importance of ball security after fumbling seven times last season, but it wasn't a great sign to see him get stripped in the first game-like setting of the season. On the Blue team's third drive, undrafted rookie cornerback Brandon Crossley punched the ball out with Stevenson running in the open field. Advertisement 3. At least one of the odd men out at wide receiver looks to be Kendrick Bourne. The soon-to-be 30-year-old, despite his previous relationship with offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, rarely is on the field with the first team. He hasn't done anything distinguishable in multiple practices. He doesn't have a role on special teams, either. With Stefon Diggs, DeMario Douglas, Mack Hollins, and rookie Kyle Williams as the four locks to make the roster, the Patriots have no more than two spots remaining. Kayshon Boutte will likely get one, given his upside and usage during camp. The other could go to Bourne, Ja'Lynn Polk, Javon Baker, or undrafted rookie Efton Chism III. Wideout Kendrick Bourne was all smiles Thursday signing autographs for fans, but on the field things are not looking so rosy for the veteran Patriot. John Tlumacki/Globe Staff Working against Bourne is his age and duplicative skill set. Polk's rookie season was a major disappointment, but it's conceivable the Patriots want a chance at developing their 2024 second-round pick who flashed during camp last year. The preseason games could be a real opportunity for Polk and the younger players to prove their value. Related : To make matters worse for Bourne, he left Friday's scrimmage with an apparent left ankle/foot injury and visited the locker room. 4. Maye's interception-free camp came to an end Friday, as he threw two picks — one that bounced off the hands of Diggs into the arms of Robert Spillane, and another on a miscommunication with Williams during a two-minute drill. Turnovers remain a stat to watch with Maye, who threw 10 picks and lost six fumbles last season. Advertisement 5. Rookie left tackle Will Campbell is experiencing ups and downs throughout camp, with most of his downs coming when he gets beat on the inside. Because Campbell has shorter than average arms and wingspan, he may over-set on the outside to compensate for his lack of length — potentially leaving him more vulnerable on the inside. Campbell has had mixed success during the one-on-one drills, most recently getting beat decisively by college teammate Bradyn Swinson on Wednesday. Patriots rookie offensive lineman Will Campbell is trying to figure out what works for him in the pro game during training camp. John Tlumacki/Globe Staff 'Josh McDaniels told me a couple weeks ago, 'You don't lose. You learn or you win,' ' Campbell said Friday. 'I'm a rookie. I'm out here learning. Some things I do in college don't work out here. It's a different league. I'm just finding what works for me out here. 'Everything you do that doesn't go your way is something that you learn from. It doesn't count as a loss.' Related : 6. New England's offensive line depth is already being tested early. Veteran Garrett Bradbury hasn't practiced since leaving Tuesday's practice early with an injury, while 2024 third-round pick Caedan Wallace spent time in the blue medical tent Friday before heading to the locker room. Bradbury had been starting at center, while Wallace had been repping as a backup guard. 7. It would be a surprise if rookie Jared Wilson did not start on the offensive line in Week 1. Despite not participating in much of the spring, Wilson has impressed quickly in both one-on-one drills and team periods. 'Nothing is set in stone with the roster or the lineup,' Vrabel said. 'But certainly, we want to give Jared the opportunity he's deserved, which is to be out there with the ones in the last couple days and going forward into next week.' Advertisement Left guard and center seemed to be in play for Wilson up until Wednesday, when his focus turned to left guard. Even with Bradbury sidelined because of an injury, the Patriots kept Wilson at left guard and Ben Brown subbed in at center. Things are looking good for Patriots rookie offensive lineman Jared Wilson so far in training camp. John Tlumacki/Globe Staff Those decisions also indicate that 2022 first-round pick Cole Strange's future is in doubt. Strange, who held the starting left guard job throughout the spring, projects to be a backup interior depth piece, if he makes the roster. 8. It'll be worth seeing whether Commanders receiver Terry McLaurin makes the trip to New England next week amid his fight for a new contract. McLaurin, who requested a trade earlier this week, held out the first four days of training camp before reporting and getting placed on the physically unable to perform list. The Commanders are scheduled to have a joint practice with the Patriots Wednesday. Asked about potential interest in McLaurin, Vrabel kept his focus on the current team. 'We're not going to comment on players on other teams,' he said Friday. 'These things always happen in the National Football League, whether it's the offseason or before the season starts. 'Everybody's working with different situations. Those respective players with their respective team will focus on their situation — and we'll focus on ours.' The Patriots still have the most amount of open salary cap space in the league, with close to $60 million, but Vrabel acknowledged the need to roll over some of that money into next year. Advertisement Nicole Yang can be reached at
Los Angeles Times
2 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
The Times' City Section preseason football rankings
Let's offer a preseason top-10 rankings in high school football for the City Section: 1. BIRMINGHAM: The Patriots have weaknesses (lack of a passing game), but a big offensive line, two transfer running backs and a big-play weapon in receiver Paul Turner make them the team to beat. They have a 49-game winning streak against City teams thanks to forfeit wins against Narbonne. 2. SAN PEDRO: Junior quarterback Seth Solorio takes over as the starter behind a veteran offensive line. There's speed and kicker Dylan Moreno starts out as the most accurate in the City Section. 3. CARSON: A new coach but lots of talent. Quarterback Chris Fields will have plenty of weapons. The defense needs to prove itself. 4. GARFIELD: New coach Patrick Vargas learned from the retired Lorenzo Hernandez. Vargas might call a few more passes but has a top running back in Ceasar Reyes. 5. PALISADES: The passing combination of quarterback Jack Thomas throwing to Bishop Alemany transfer Demare Dezeurn is going to be fun to watch. Dezeurn is one of the fastest athletes in California. 6. EAGLE ROCK: The Northern League favorites return quarterback Liam Pasten, who passed for 3,600 yards as a junior. Their opening game against Kennedy should provide clues whether they are an Open Division team. 7. DORSEY: A new quarterback to team with receiver Deuce Johnson should benefit the Dons, who went 5-0 in the Coliseum League in a breakthrough last season. 8. KENNEDY: Valley Mission League favorites will rely on All-City quarterback Diego Montes. 9. BANNING: Must break in new quarterback but lots of players to build around, including linebacker Keshawn Galloway and defensive back Alonzo Ruiz. 10. VENICE: Quarterback Bennett Dome, defensive back Joshua Aaron and receiver Aaron Minter are standouts on a team capable of winning the Western League.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Turner returns to Revolution on loan from Lyon after transfer to French team from Nottingham Forest
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Matt Turner is returning to his Major League Soccer roots as he looks to get back into position to compete for the starting job as U.S. national team's goalkeeper. Turner transferred from England's Nottingham Forest to France's Lyon on Friday, then was loaned to the New England Revolution through June 30, 2026, in a deal that gives the Revolution an option to acquire his rights. Turner will be a designated player on the Revolution's roster for the remainder of the 2025 season. He'll be eligible for targeted allocation money in 2026. Turner left the Revolution for Arsenal ahead of the 2022-23 season but played in just five Europa League and two FA Cup matches and transferred to Forest in August 2023. He lost the No. 1 spot there after allowing soft goals against Tottenham, Manchester United and Arsenal and was loaned for 2024-25 to Crystal Palace, where he played in just one League Cup game and three FA Cup matches — none after March 1. Turner was displaced by New York City's Matt Freese as the U.S. goalkeeper for this year's CONCACAF Gold Cup. The 31-year-old Turner became the No. 1 U.S. goalkeeper ahead of the 2022 World Cup and had started 14 consecutive competitive matches for the U.S. and 23 of 24 before the Gold Cup. Turner will now look to get back to that level in New England, where he made his pro debut in 2016. He last played for New England in 2022, posting a 53.3% save percentage over five starts. ___ AP soccer: The Associated Press
