LAS VEGAS — One player has been off-limits for Tennessee Titans Coach Mike Vrabel when preparing for the draft with General Manager Jon Robinson: Tyler Vrabel.
The Titans coach’s oldest son is a 6-foot-5, 310-pound offensive lineman who was a three-year starter at Boston College, spending two seasons at left tackle and one on the right side. Asked if the Titans are considering the younger Vrabel as a prospect, the elder Vrabel said no. He and Robinson haven’t even talked about it.
“I think that there’s 31 teams that are evaluating Tyler. I don’t think that’s good for anybody,” Vrabel said.
The Titans’ coach played 14 NFL seasons himself at linebacker, winning three Super Bowls with the Patriots. As coach, Vrabel has been a proud parent able to wear BC gear and cheer for his son during his college career. Now his son could hear his name called, even if he has to wait until Saturday. Mike Vrabel is staying in dad mode, excited to see what’s next for his son.
“That’s really what I’m trying to do,” Vrabel said. “It’s taken me a lot of years to be more dad than coach, and I’m trying to do a much better job at that, and I feel like I have. So, I’m excited for him to see where his next opportunity will be, and try to support him any way I can.”
BILLS: The Buffalo Bills picked up the fifth-year option of Ed Oliver’s rookie contract in a decision that locks up the defensive tackle through the 2023 season.
The move represents a big boost in pay for Oliver, who is playing under a four-year, $19.6 million contract. Under NFL rules, he’s now guaranteed to make $10.7 million next year, though the two sides can negotiate a longer-term contract.
Oliver was selected ninth overall in the 2019 draft out of Houston and has gradually developed into an established starter. He’s coming off his best season in which he had four sacks and credited with 41 tackles in 17 games.
BROWNS: The Cleveland Browns announced a long-term partnership with Bally’s Interactive, a division of Bally’s Corp., that makes the gaming leader the official sports betting partner of the NFL team. As part of the agreement, Bally’s will have a branded lounge at FirstEnergy Stadium.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signed bills to legalize sports books in the state late last year. Pending local approval and licensing, fans could begin legally betting in person on their favorite teams in 2023 – and the Browns want to have those capabilities in place for the launch.
The Browns and Bally’s Interactive also plan to have a mobile sports app that will allow fans to place bets.
Copy the Story LinkSend questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.