The New England Patriots held a pre-NFL Draft press conference on Monday afternoon.
Patriots VP Eliot Wolf addressed reporters about the offseason, free agency, player development, the NFL Draft process and more. Unfortunately, anyone looking for the Patriots to comment on the Mike Vrabel-Dianna Russini scandal was disappointed. The Patriots were asked just one question about Vrabel on Monday - and it had nothing to do with the Russini situation.
The question: "How involved has Mike been in the pre-draft meetings over the course of the last week?"
Wolf stated that Vrabel has been "very involved," perhaps even more so than last year.
Vrabel, who was photographed at an Arizona resort with Russini before the NFL meetings in Phoenix, said that there is nothing going on between himself and the insider.
The NFL head coach said that the photos "show a completely innocent interaction and any suggestion otherwise is laughable."
Meanwhile, Russini said something similar, saying that the photos "don't represent the group of six people who were hanging out during the day."
The Athletic is now investigating Russini
The Athletic initially stood behind Russini, as editor Steven Ginsberg released a statement.
"These photos are misleading and lack essential context," Ginsberg told the New York Post. "These were public interactions in front of many people. Dianna is a premier journalist covering the NFL and we're proud to have her at the Athletic."
But according to multiple reports, including one from The Athletic's owner, the New York Times, there is now an investigation into Russini's behavior.
She will not be reporting until further notice.
