Mike Vrabel issues new statement ahead of NFL draft

Vrabel also answered a few questions from reporters.

Q: What made Saturday the best time to step away, other than the time later when the draft isn't going on?

Vrabel: "Well, when you prioritize your family first and your job, that's what's required. And that's what was necessary. I got a lot of support from everybody involved. And so that's what I was able to do, and willingly. I want to do that. It's important to me. But there's also a balance there. When my family needs me, I'll be there. And I know that there's a way to give them the best version of me and also provide and get what I need from my family and this football team.

Q: Do you anticipate missing any other football activities in the coming weeks?

Vrabel: "I can't answer that. I can only say that whatever my family needs, that's what I'm going to provide. But I also understand what's needed from me here. This is an exciting time. We just finished our first week. Guys are excited. I see leaders developing among the new players that we brought onto the team. And I'm confident that if I weren't able to be here, that we have people in place that can support them and do those things. I'm not sure what's going to be needed of me, but I just know I'm going to take the necessary steps with the people that I care about. That's my family and this team."

Q: It was reported that even though you would be away from the team on Saturday, you would still be in communication with the team. Can you explain that?

Vrabel: "I'll obviously try to communicate with Eliot, Ryan, and Stretch or Robert if that's necessary. But I have to do what's needed of me with my family. So again, I'm confident that whatever they need, I'm going to provide and I'm excited about the work that everybody's done, Eliot and his staff, to get us here to this point. And I'm confident that just like last year, we'll come out of this draft with players that our fans are going to enjoy watching and will be good teammates and will help us win."

Q: Do you feel like you have to prove yourself to the guys that were in this locker room last year?

Vrabel: "I just have to make them a priority. That's what I have to do. I have to make my family and this football team the priority, and I'm excited about giving them the best version of me possible, and being able to coach and teach and develop and all those things that we talk about that we believe in and that we know are important."

Q: Can you talk about how, over the last two and a half weeks, we went from you insinuating the photos were "laughable" to your comments Tuesday to now, you deciding to go to counseling. What is that process?

Vrabel: “That's a private and personal matter. I think that that was always an attempt to protect your family. And I would never be dismissive, but I think my family and this football team are the most important thing, and that’s what I plan to do, and I’m excited about the challenge with both of those things.”

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This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: Mike Vrabel issues new statement ahead of NFL draft