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New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel urged the team to make a major change involving wide receiver DeMario Douglas.

Mike Vrabel wants the New England Patriots to make a big change involving wide receiver DeMario Douglas. Specifically, the head coach is keen for offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and his staff “to find ways to get” the pass-catcher entering the final year of his rookie contract more targets.

Vrabel shared his thoughts about Douglas’ development and role in the passing game for 2026 during the NFL’s annual owners meeting. As Vrabel explained, “I think Pop is a player that’s going to really continue to grow and develop, and we have to find ways to get him the ball,” per MassLive.com’s Karen Guregian.

It makes sense for Vrabel to want the Patriots to get Douglas more involved. And not just because the team dumped seven-time 1,000-yard receiver Stefon Diggs.

Douglas isn’t Diggs, but the record-breaking former sixth-round pick is a natural slot with the after-catch skills to thrive in McDaniels’ offense. Unfortunately, that was more theory than fact in 2025, but Douglas has shown promising signs this offseason he’s ready to take on a bigger role in a receiver corps sans Diggs.

DeMario Douglas Putting in Work

He couldn’t justify breakout predictions a year ago, but Douglas did offer a reminder of his potential as a playmaker during New England’s playoff run. This 27-yard catch and run for a touchdown against the Houston Texans in the Divisional Round was the kind of play Douglas should feast on in this offense.

McDaniels has a rich history of freeing swift and diminutive receivers on shallow crossing patterns, usually from the slot. The easily repeatable concept helped make Troy Brown, Wes Welker, Danny Amendola and Julian Edelman franchise legends.

Douglas has the core attributes to one day join this list, provided he develops more consistent technique. He hasn’t always ran routes at the right depth, nor made the best decisions with the ball in his hands.

A notable lowlight in Douglas’ career occurred against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 3. When he caught a pass on 4th-and-1 and inexplicably took a step back, leading to him being tackled short of the sticks.

Vrabel pointed out “Douglas probably needed to run one revolution further but reiterates he has to knife between two defenders,” per the Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed.

Getting the mechanics right is crucial in McDaniels’ system where timing and quick adjustments are key. Improvement in this area won’t happen overnight, but fortunately, there have been numerous examples of Douglas putting in the work this offseason.

Douglas needs to step up, but he isn’t the only incumbent Patriots wideout who can help the team successfully move on from Diggs.

Mike Vrabel Expecting Big Things from Another Patriots Receiver

Vrabel is also counting on second-year receiver Kyle Williams making a leap. The third-round pick in the 2025 NFL draft showcased a flair for the big play with moments like this 37-yard touchdown catch against the Baltimore Ravens.

More of this can replace the threat Diggs brought to New England’s passing game, but Vrabel revealed the Patriots are focused on Williams “improving his play strength, and that’s something that he’s trying to focus on here in the offseason,” per Guregian.

This isn’t the first time Williams has been tasked with refining his movement and physicality, but his upside as a vertical playmaker remains intact. It means Williams can stretch coverage to open up room underneath for Douglas.

That’s the ideal dynamic for the Patriots getting the most out of a group of receivers still lacking a true star. Even after general manager Eliot Wolf handed Romeo Doubs a lucrative contract worth $68 million in free agency.

They paid him like a No. 1 receiver, but the Pats will need others to credibly support Doubs in a true target sharing rotation for quarterback Drake Maye. Douglas is the logical candidate to emerge once he finally gets comfortable with the McDaniels playbook.

James Dudko covers the New York Giants, Washington Commanders, New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens for Heavy.com. He has covered the NFL and world soccer since 2011, with bylines at FanSided, Prime Time Sports Talk and Bleacher Report before joining Heavy in 2021. More about James Dudko