You don’t want to mess with Mike Vrabel.
The New England Patriots head coach and former linebacker made that clear on Wednesday, when he stepped in to break up a fight at a joint practice between his team and the Washington Commanders.
Not many NFL coaches can get in the mix like that – either due to age or physical stature. Vrabel, 49, is in the sweet spot of guys who can and will insert themselves into those situations.
Which other coaches would you not want to cross? On Thursday’s episode of “PFT Live,” Mike Florio and Chris Simms debated that very topic. Florio and Simms went back and forth drafting their top picks, with a compelling case for each selection. Watch and read how it unfolded:
First pick: Mike Vrabel, Patriots (Simms)
The first pick was a no-brainer for Simms, who played quarterback when Vrabel was in the league.
“He’s big as hell, he’s tough as hell and he’s not old enough to think ‘Oh, he can’t move around and bend and get in the scrum or control you and beat you up a little,'” Simms said.
Second pick: Dan Campbell, Lions (Florio)
Florio had a different perspective, saying that he would’ve passed on Vrabel at No. 1 for Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell.
“I’m surprised you went there, because there’s another guy who’s 49 years old that I definitely would not want to mess with,” Florio said. “He could’ve been a heel, a face, he could’ve been whatever he wanted in wrestling. I ain’t messing with Dan Campbell.
“Dan Campbell is like carved out of granite, massive human. Even with Vrabel in the mix, my first pick absolutely positively would’ve been Dan Campbell.”
Here are five things to know about Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell.
Third pick: DeMeco Ryans, Texans (Simms)
Simms countered with a point about Campbell being a former offensive player, rather than defensive. That led him to pick Houston Texans coach DeMeco Ryans, another former linebacker like Vrabel who’s just 41 years old.
“I am a little bit of a believer that defensive guys are more like ‘You want to fight? Let’s fight. Let’s fight, I’d love to fight. You want to do that, sure, let’s bring it on,'” Simms said. “That’s where I’ll go to DeMeco Ryans. I wouldn’t want to mess with DeMeco Ryans, he looks like he’s still got muscles popping out of his shoulders and his chest and his arms.
“Let me tell you about linebackers in the NFL. You know what they’re not afraid of? Physical contact. That’s what they’re not afraid of. They’d be some of the last people on earth that I’d want to mess with.”
Fourth pick: Todd Bowles, Buccaneers (Florio)
Florio switched up his strategy in the second round, going with a former defensive player – but an older one (61), in Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles.
“Todd Bowles is that guy who smiles and is soft-spoken,” Florio said. “But when the s— gets real, you better watch Todd Bowles, because Todd Bowles is a street fighter. I’ve seen enough stories about that where he just becomes a completely different person. He’s got that reputation for being completely laid back, but there are moments where Todd Bowles becomes a complete and total badass.”
Fifth pick: Sean McDermott, Bills (Simms)
With his third and final pick, Simms went to someone with a extra sports background outside of football – Sean McDermott. The Buffalo Bills coach is a former college football player and wrestler, which Simms sees as a huge advantage.
“You don’t want to mess with wrestlers,” Simms said. “Wrestlers, sometimes you’re like ‘Man, this guy isn’t as strong as me.’ Then, of a sudden he puts you in some move and it’s like ‘Oh, s—, I can’t move and he’s choking me out.’ I feel like Sean McDermott would be perfect for that.”
Sixth pick: Kevin O’Connell, Vikings (Florio)
Perhaps the most shocking pick of the draft was the last pick, when Florio went with the coach of his favorite team. Minnesota Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell is a former NFL quarterback, but Florio sees some hidden traits that could make him a strong pick.
“I put O’Connell down because that guy’s huge,” Florio said. “He’s as big as you (Simms), if not bigger. And when you start messing with those guys with long arms (it’s bad). He’s another one of those guys who has a great demeanor, and he’s smiling and everything’s fine. But I have a feeling if you were to p— him off, if you would cross the line with him (you’d have a problem).”
Bonus pick: Nick Sirianni, Eagles (Florio)
After wrapping up the draft, Florio threw out another name to consider – Nick Sirianni of the Philadelphia Eagles. The Super Bowl-winning head coach has a built-in body guard that you can’t overlook in Dom DiSandro.
“You know why I’m not messing with Nick Sirianni? Because everywhere he goes, there’s Big Dom. And if you’re going to mess with Sirianni, you’re going to mess with Big Dom, too.”
Here are five things to know about Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni.