Mike Vrabel reveals the not-so-secret way the Texans are rebuilding the roster

The New England Patriots topped the Los Angeles Chargers with a dominating defensive performance in last week’s Wild Card game. Drake May struggled in his playoff debut, turning the ball over twice and taking five sacks. But New England’s defense chased Justin Herbert with six sacks and 11 KB hits. Now the The Patriots will face a tough Texans defense in the divisional round.

New England is back Mike Vrabel‘s rookie season after enduring three straight losing campaigns. Bill Belichick went 12-22 in his last two years with the team. Then Jerod Mayo led New England to a 4-13 record in his only season at the helm. Vrabel was hired last offseason. And the The Patriots turned things around by adding key players through the draft and free agency.

The Texans experienced a similar situation, with three straight losing seasons from 2020-2022. DeMezzo Ryans got the program back on track. So when Vrabel was asked how he thought Houston was able to turn things around, his the answer was quite simple. “I think they got a lot of draft picks. And they signed some good free agents,” Vrabel told the Houston Stress.

The Patriots face the Texans in a rebuilding battle

The The Texans enjoyed a phenomenal rebuild during the last three years. Houston used the draft to add players who became the core of the team. The Texans selected Derek Stingley in 2022. In 2023, Houston took C.J. Stroud and Will Anderson Jr., who won offensive and defensive rookie of the year awards. Houston selected Kamari Lassiter in 2024. And Jaden Higgins and Jaylin Noel joined the team in 2025.

And as Vrabel mentioned, free agents played a big role in the Texans’ turnaround. Houston signed Dalton Schultz, Daniel Hunter and Sheldon Rankins.

The formula was essentially the same for the Patriots. New England added key players such as Milton Williams, Stefon Diggs and Robert Spillane during the offseason. And the Patriots started critical draft picks including MaiaWill Campbell and Treveion Henderson.

Vrabel began his coaching career in Houston in 2014, when he was hired as the Texans’ linebackers coach. He rose to defensive coordinator in 2017 and then left to become the head coach of the division rival Tennessee Titans.

Now Vrabel hopes to lead the Patriots back to the AFC Championship game. But he’ll have to get past Ryan’s Texans, who are hoping to advance beyond the divisional round for the first time in franchise history.