New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel is not afraid of being hard on rookie Gabe Jacas.
In last Thursday’s preseason opener, that led to Vrabel calling out Jacas on the sidelines and challenging the rookie to compete harder on special teams. Jacas recorded a tackle shortly after.
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“I think that it needs to be better. It was better on Saturday [in practice] than it was in the game,” Vrabel said this week of Jacas’ progress. “We pointed some things out to him in the game, and I felt it was really cool of him to be able to make those corrections and look at some of the body positions that we feel like he should be in, and he was really conscious of those, and I saw those things translate in just a quick, short amount of time from the meeting after the game to Saturday’s practice.”
Jacas has received plenty of 1-on-1 coaching from Vrabel throughout training camp. That’s included time on special teams, as Jacas is part of the team’s top punt protection group — a unit the 22-year-old had never played before.
So far, Jacas has appreciated the hard coaching.
“That style of coaching, you don’t get everywhere else,” Jacas said Wednesday. “So, the fact that he’s so hard on me just brings the best out of me every day. He demands a lot from me.”
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After being away from the team during the offseason program and opening training camp on the non-football injury list, things were moving fast for Jacas upon his return. The rookie has felt the game slow down now, while the power and physicality he prides himself on have transferred over from the collegiate level.
“I’ve progressed a lot,” Jacas said. “Each and every practice I get better, and I continue to improve. So each and every day, I’m just working on the little things, whatever that could be in the pass game or run game. Just a blessing to be out here and you can just tell I’m just continuing to build and build.”
In Wednesday’s first joint practice with the Eagles, Jacas’ power was on display as he bull-rushed through a Philadelphia offensive tackle for a 1-on-1 win. Jacas was then in the backfield on numerous occasions in full-team periods.
“Pretty happy, but still a lot to improve on,” Jacas said of his performance. “Never be complacent. Always continue to get better and work on my craft.”
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Jacas will try to build on that showing during Thursday’s second joint practice and Saturday’s preseason game. The Patriots will hope the rookie can continue to make an impact along the edge as he gets more comfortable.
“Excited for this week, excited for this game. Another opportunity,” Jacas said.
