INDIANAPOLIS — Mike Vrabel noted Wednesday that his New England Patriots are a bit behind most teams in their offseason planning and their preparations for free agency and the NFL Draft. Such are the champagne problems of reaching the Super Bowl and playing into February.

So even though the legal tampering period for free agency opens in less than two weeks, the Patriots are still reviewing their options.

“We’re still working through it,” Vrabel said. “Right now, the plan is to evaluate everybody that we can, have communication and conversations, when those times come, with the agents as we approach the tampering window. Right now, it’s about gaining information from our scouting department and having our coaches look at it and then figuring out a few players at each position that may help us.”

Still, Vrabel’s remarks Wednesday were his first in two weeks, and there were a number of tidbits to glean. Here’s what we learned:

Could they trade for A.J. Brown?

After Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman indicated that he would be “open” to trade offers for star wide receiver A.J. Brown, Vrabel spoke in glowing terms about Brown, whom he coached for three seasons with the Tennessee Titans.

“It has meant a lot,” Vrabel said of their relationship. “I’ve watched him grow. I’ve watched him mature. I’m proud of him, proud of the father that he is. I’m proud of the husband (he is). … Those are the things that are important. We reach out and text each other during the good things that happen to each other. Sometimes things don’t go so well for the people that you’re close with, and you text for those as well. It’s a two-way street of support and reminders of what got us to where we are here today.”

If the Eagles seriously consider moving on from Brown, the Patriots would be a natural trade partner because of their ample cap space, their need at wide receiver and Brown’s relationship with Vrabel.

Some of that need, though, will come down to what New England decides to do with Stefon Diggs. Without a recalibration of his contract, Diggs would carry a $26.5 million cap hit in 2026. It seems likely the Pats would attempt to lower that — or, if they can’t, that they might consider cutting Diggs. If they do move on from Diggs, that could make Brown their top target.

“I think that we’ll look at everything that we can possibly look at to add to our roster,” Vrabel said. “There’s a lot of things that go into trades. There’s a lot of back and forth, (the potential of) taking on compensation. So I’m sure there’ll be a lot of opportunities for us to talk about trades, not only this week, but as we prepare and get closer to the draft.”

It doesn’t help the Patriots either that the wide receiver position is so difficult to address in free agency. If they can’t improve at receiver via a trade for Brown, perhaps the Pats would pivot to draft a receiver in the first round.

“They’re not going to be there in free agency,” Vrabel said of finding a No. 1 wide receiver. “You have to try to draft them. I think that’s where a lot of them are. You develop them.”

A need at OT

Even though the Patriots will bring back starting left tackle Will Campbell and starting right tackle Morgan Moses, Vrabel admitted the position is a need for the Patriots.

The way Vrabel spoke, it seems likely that the Patriots draft an offensive tackle they can develop.

“I don’t think you could have too many guys that can protect the most important piece of your team offensively,” Vrabel said. “And, again, we got some really good efforts from the guys (this season), and then we’re going to need some better efforts. We need competition. I know that competition makes everybody better, and that’s something that I know that we want to do.”

Questions exist, too, on the interior of the offensive line. The Patriots haven’t decided yet whether Jared Wilson, who played left guard last season, will remain at that spot or move to center, where he played during his last two years in college. Vrabel said Wilson could have played center for New England last season if the team needed him there.

“We asked him to prepare as a starter each week at center, even though he didn’t have to,” Vrabel said. “So I’m sure that he’ll do the same thing when we start (the offseason program) April 20.”

Looking for help on the edge

Vrabel said the Patriots spent the early part of their week at the combine meeting “with a bunch of edge players.”

That shines a light on what the team views as arguably its biggest need: edge rusher.

The likely plan is to sign a free agent at the position and draft someone early.

“I think that there’s got to be a violence,” Vrabel said of what he’s looking for at the position. “There’s got to be an ability to move off the football and to create some sort of disruption. You have to be able to factor in on the quarterback. You have to be able to make plays on the football. We know the quarterback is responsible for the most turnovers in football. So, can they affect the quarterback? And then the ability to set the edge, rush and have enough coverage acumen that the few times we ask them to do it, they can do it.”