First-round draft pick Will Campbell emerged from inside the Gillette Stadium tunnel on his first official day as a member of the New England Patriots, turning the corner onto the field alongside owner Robert Kraft and team president Jonathan Kraft.
With each step, in their crisply pressed sport coats and business attire, they moved closer to the six Super Bowl banners hanging above the south end zone -- proud reminders of the Patriots' prominence from the first decade of the 2000s and the 2010s.
"The biggest thing for me was I wanted to play for an organization that had history," Campbell said, looking in the direction of the red, white and blue championship banners, the day after the former LSU offensive tackle was selected with the fourth overall pick. "The proof is in the pudding with this place."
But recent history hasn't been as kind to the Patriots, who are coming off back-to-back 4-13 seasons. Only the Carolina Panthers have totaled fewer wins over that span.
Kraft, who purchased the franchise in 1994, said bluntly: "The last two years have been really, really difficult; the worst two years of our ownership."
As a result, the Patriots have undergone a thorough transformation over the past five months with coaches, executives and players. Their hope is that the changes have positioned them to close the gap on the Buffalo Bills, who have won the last five AFC East titles, while also accelerating their path back to Super Bowl contender. ESPN puts the Patriots' projected win total at 8.5. Last year at this time, the Patriots had a projected win total of 4.5.
Kraft, who turns 84 in June, moved with urgency in early January by firing first-year head coach Jerod Mayo in the hours following the Patriots' regular-season finale against the Bills.
"This whole situation is on me," Kraft, patting his chest, said the day after moving on from Mayo. He called himself out for putting Mayo in an "untenable situation" by rushing him into the job as Bill Belichick's successor despite having just five years' experience as an assistant coach.
"I don't like losing. I don't like losing the way we lost. Things were not developing the way we would have liked. It was time to move on," Kraft said, adding his goal was to "find a coach who can get us back to the playoffs and hopefully championships."
Mike Vrabel was hired eight days later.
Vrabel's tenure as the Tennessee Titans head coach (2018-23) -- where he was 54-45 in the regular season and 2-3 in the playoffs, in addition to being named Coach of the Year in 2021 -- was appealing to Kraft. As was Vrabel's ties to the franchise's past glory as a linebacker on three Super Bowl championship teams in 2001, 2003 and 2004.
With Vrabel's arrival came an injection of energy and change that the franchise hopes will set it on a new course.
"I want to galvanize our football team," Vrabel said, "I want to galvanize this building. I want to galvanize our fans."
