Drake Maye, Patriots player offer up support for Diggs, Barmore

FOXBOROUGH — Mike Vrabel was candid on Wednesday when requested of the message to his workforce amid information of each Stefon Diggs and Christian Barmore facing criminal charges.

Whereas the Patriots group is intent on letting the authorized proceedings play out, the onus falls on the remainder of New England’s locker room to stay centered on the duty at hand — beginning with Sunday’s regular-season finale in opposition to the Dolphins at Gillette Stadium.

“I talked to the workforce about ensuring that we converse to ourselves,” Vrabel stated. “If Stef and Christian have one thing to say, I assist that, however we’re additionally going to talk for ourselves and ensure they’re centered on what they must do and the enhancements they must make. The main focus this week is to enhance by way of follow and attempt to end what we began.”

Vrabel’s message resonated in a Patriots locker room that each supplied up assist for each Diggs and Barmore — whereas additionally reinforcing the need to stay centered with the postseason proper across the nook. 

“The perfect factor coach Vrabel at all times says —  let these guys converse for themselves,” Drake Maye stated of Diggs and Barmore. “I’m going to assist them any manner I can, assist my teammates and love these guys. … I actually obtained a great relationship with [them], and I really feel like no matter they want from me, I’m right here for them.”

In New England’s locker room, the first message echoed was one rooted in New England’s subsequent matchup in opposition to the Dolphins.

New England nonetheless has a lot to play for on Sunday, with a win each securing the No. 2 seed within the AFC, and giving the Patriots a slim shot at leapfrogging the Broncos and securing the No. 1 seed if the Chargers beat Denver on Sunday night. 

“We’re centered on the Dolphins 100%,” Patriots proper sort out Morgan Moses stated. “All the things that we talked about at this time, and the identification of what they bring about. They’re 5-2, I feel, within the final seven video games. And I feel in these 5 video games that they received, they’ve had 13 turnovers. … “Noise is noise. We’re not stopping for something. We obtained one purpose, one focus.” 

“Actually, you guys in all probability know greater than I do,” Patriots heart Garrett Bradbury added. “So the message is, truthfully, let’s simply deal with the place we’re at, the place our ft are, and we obtained to follow at this time to arrange for the Dolphins.”

Past an inflow of further media members on Wednesday afternoon in Foxborough, there was little shift in tone or method for the Patriots forward of follow — even amid the authorized woes involving Diggs and Barmore. 

News broke on Tuesday morning that Diggs is facing several charges, together with felony strangulation, for an alleged altercation together with his private chef. The next morning, information got here to gentle that defensive sort out Christian Barmore has been charged with domestic assault and battery.

Diggs is scheduled to be arraigned on Jan. 23. Barmore’s arraignment date is at present set for Feb. 3. 

Vrabel famous on Wednesday that he doesn’t imagine that each Diggs and Barmore might be dominated out of Sunday’s sport in opposition to Miami. 

The NFL may put each Diggs and Barmore on the Commissioner’s Exempt listing whereas this authorized course of performs out, however NFL league spokesman Brian McCarthy told NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero that each Patriots gamers stay eligible to play right now. 

Because the Patriots let the authorized proceedings transfer ahead with each Diggs and Barmore, Maye supplied up his assist for his teammates on Wednesday.  

“Stef, man, he means loads to this workforce,” Maye stated. “He’s breaking the huddle down earlier than follow at this time. He’s chirping at me on the sideline to provide him the rock. He’s pumping up the younger guys after they make massive performs. He’s blocking downfield. He provides off the persona of a type of guys that you simply simply wish to be teammates with. And I feel that’s the most effective issues about him that I’ve type of discovered is how superior it’s to be his teammate and be there with him.

“After which B-Extra — I really like speaking crap (with) B-Extra. He’s obsessed with soccer, passionate concerning the sport, a type of guys in locker room that you simply wish to have speeding the passer. He loves quarterbacks too, particularly his personal, however he loves getting after them. However I feel these guys, personally, I feel they only care about each other. They care about one another and so they  care about this soccer workforce. That’s the most important factor.”

 

Conor Ryan is a workers author masking the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Purple Sox for Boston.com, a job he has held since 2023.