The fact that Vrabel was available made the best choice an easy one. Kraft hasn’t run an actual coaching search since 1997 when he hired Pete Carroll. The two hires that followed — Bill Belichick in 2000 and Jerod Mayo last year — were both examples of Kraft selecting people who he already knew, liked and trusted.

While the search process leaned toward Vrabel all along, having a legit coach, an exciting young quarterback, the No. 4 draft pick, and salary cap space shifts the momentum.