This will shock Patriots fans, but Mike Vrabel is apparently thinking about adding someone with whom he’s worked before.
New England has “shown some interest” in linebacker Jack Gibbens, per a report Thursday from MassLive’s Karen Guregian. Gibbens recently became a free agent after the Tennessee Titans did not offer him a tender.
Gibbens broke into the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the Titans in 2022. After spending most of his rookie season on the practice squad in Nashville, the 26-year-old broke out as a sophomore with 95 total tackles in 14 games. Gibbens played 10 contests (five starts) with Tennessee last year before his season ended due to an ankle injury.
The Minnesota product spent his first two campaigns with the Titans working under Vrabel, who reunited with several former Tennessee colleagues upon taking the head-coaching job in Foxboro, Mass. Included were new defensive coordinator Terrell Williams and linebacker Harold Landry III, who officially signed with the Patriots on Wednesday.
Linebacker shouldn’t be the greatest area of focus for New England at this point, as Vrabel and company badly need to bolster the wide receiver and offensive line groups. But Gibbens would be a nice depth piece for the Patriots, who surely admire his path from undrafted no-name to reliable asset.