NASHVILLE, Tenn. – From the start of his tenure as Titans coach in 2018, Mike Vrabel has never once griped about the rules.
He generally won’t even open up on how he thinks something should work or how a rule should be written.
He consistently talks about taking what he’s given, desiring the most clear understanding he can get of the level playing field in front of him and working to do better than the competition on it.
It’s no surprise then, that Vrabel is taking the same approach to the NFL landscape with regard to the shutdown and limitations set forth by the coronavirus. [Unlocked]
He believes players can get better, even if they are working remotely, alone.
“We don’t complain, we try to figure out what the situation is and we’re going to make the best of it," he said in a Wednesday media conference call. "We’re going to be creative with whatever the rules are. Whatever is best for our players, that is what we are going to do. We talked about it last year, there are certain times that you have to try to improve as the season goes along without some of those reps.
"Whenever they say we can get on the field or we can’t get on the field, we’re going to try to make sure that our players are as prepared as they can possibly be when that time comes that they can return to our facility or engage in conversations without coaches remotely.
Vrabel said he realizes he’s not a very good person working at home, without the interaction with his coaching staff. He’s also missing out on the sort of hands-on work he’s become recognized for at pro days with prospects and with his own players when he gets to work with them at on the practice fields at Titans' headquarters.
But he’s doing his best with online meetings, making sure all opinions are heard and things are prepared for remote work with players. And he said a team that does its homework may have a chance to gain an edge amid lost pro days and rechecks.
Vrabel: One way for leaders to develop off-campus -empower them to schedule virtual meetings. Give them time windows. Know some are East, some are West. I'm available, coaches are available. #Titans
— Paul Kuharsky (@PaulKuharskyNFL) April 1, 2020
A big part of his job will be measuring things correctly for the 2020 Titans, presuming they have a season.
The Titans will benefit from their offensive continuity, with only Jack Conklin gone from their starting lineup.
Will they be able to expand as much as they would have in a normal offseason and season?
"I think this is an important time to make sure what you are telling the players is very important, making sure that it’s concise, that it’s detailed and that it’s clear,” he said. “It’s able to be presented in a way that it’s able to be remotely given to them. I think it’s forced us to really hone in on what we’re doing and making sure that we don’t go crazy and making sure that it’s stuff our players can grasp and ultimately excel in.
"So I think it’s been a positive from that standpoint. 'OK, what do we need? How much offense, how much defense, how much special teams do we need? How much do we want to present them with?'
"We have an opportunity to go back and begin to teach them."
Simplifying things usually turns out well, particularly if a good teacher is doing the streamlining. It will be a long while before we know if that will be the case for the Titans.
Vrabel: Believe self-motivation key to team success. Says he's not worried about guys working while away. Will be conscious of levels when players return. Work on remote/digital learning with player access to same info they'd get if at HQ. #Titans
— Paul Kuharsky (@PaulKuharskyNFL) April 1, 2020
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