Pats Pulpit
Notes and thoughts on rookie minicamp, the Patriots Hall of Fame, potential wide receiver trades, and more.
Even with the NFL Draft in the rear-view mirror, there is no shortage of stories coming out of Foxborough. The New England Patriots, after all, are currently holding their three-day rookie minicamp.
While minicamp is the main event, there is a lot to talk about that goes beyond it. So, without further ado, let’s dive straight in and put a wrap on this week.
Welcome to the latest edition of our Sunday Patriots Notes.
With Terrell Williams working remotely from Detroit following the medical scare he experienced earlier this offseason, the Patriots are currently do not have their defensive coordinator on the ground at Gillette Stadium. In order to replace him, they turned to their inside linebackers coach: Zak Kuhr has taken over Williams’ responsibilities during his absence.
The choice could not have been any better, in Williams’ eyes.
“Zak’s unbelievable. He’s an unbelievably smart guy,” he said about his colleague. “He’s going to be a superstar in this league. Smart, and more than anything he has the ability to connect with players.”
Kuhr arrived in New England alongside Vrabel and Williams earlier this offseason after having spent the 2024 season as a defensive assistant with the New York Giants. Before that, he was part of Vrabel’s Tennessee Titans staff for four years, first as a quality control coach and later as assistant linebackers coach.
Those four seasons left a positive impression on Williams.
“I remember when we hired him in Tennessee,” he said. “It seems like [Mike Vrabel] always put the new guys with me, so he was coming from [Texas] and he stuck him in there; he had been on offense and he stuck him in there with me on the defensive line. Everybody was dumped in there with me, but I’ve grown to respect him in a short amount of time. We were together four of those years in Tennessee, and I have the utmost respect.”
Now, Kuhr is playing an integral part on a Patriots defensive staff trying to adapt with Williams sidelined. By the sounds of it, the 37-year-old is up to the challenge.
Even though he did not give any insight into the nature of the medical emergency he experienced, it did give Terrell Williams a new perspective. He outlined it during a brief media conference call on Friday afternoon.
“I want to talk about the seriousness of taking care of our health and loving the people you love, because when something traumatic happens like that — and it was traumatic for me — it gave me an opportunity to reflect and really look back at the people I care about that made a difference in my life,” the 50-year-old said.
“I was able to do that, and also it gave me a reminder that sometimes as...
