Streicher, by the way, is a walking, talking reminder of the Belichickian model. Working for Vrabel in Tennessee, he rose from special assistant to the head coach in 2018 to director of football administration five years later; the same title Belichick’s assistant, Berj Najarian, once held.

The chase for a No. 1 receiver has been an elusive pipe dream for the New England Patriots for years. Rarely has the team gone all-in at the receiver position, but that could obviously change with Bill Belichick no longer running things.

When Vrabel talks football, you can’t help but perk up and listen. He commands respect, based on 14 years of playing experience, and six years as a head coach.