In Mike Vrabel, we trust?
The Patriots' head coach is also doubling as the new sheriff in town. If you got a contract extension from the previous regime, Vrabel has you in his crosshairs. The latest player told to hit the bricks is safety Jabril Peppers.
On the surface, the news is surprising, and I can confirm, based on sources, that there were no off-field issues that arose. Peppers obviously dealt with legal problems a season ago and ended up on the Commissioner's List, missing a good part of the year.
However, you are talking about a player who is definitely NFL-caliber. He's proven that, and Peppers remains one of the team's best 53. The fact that the release comes three days after cut-down day only adds to the head-scratching nature of the move, as does the fact that league sources are telling me they didn't get the sense Peppers was available.
But perhaps Vrabel and the Pats were tipping their hand for the last two weeks. It started with Peppers having his reps reduced leading up to the preseason finale against the Giants. Then, the veteran safety found himself playing the first four series - not quite as bad as the Kyle Dugger scenario - but telling when many other would-be starters didn't even dress.
Leading up to cuts, the coaching staff continued to put Peppers behind Jaylinn Hawkins and Craig Woodson, using the 29-year-old as the big nickel. That was his only work with the ones.
There is definitely a scheme-fit question for Peppers. The Pats are going to use their safeties to play more man-to-man, and that is not Peppers' strength. He is more of a box safety, bringing the physicality that, coincidentally, mirrors the skillset of another veteran who was/is on the bubble in Dugger. There's no question Peppers has improved his ability to play in space, but Vrabel is telling you that for that price, he's not doing it as well as Hawkins or the rookie Woodson. He also appears to be saying that 2nd-year UDFA Dell Pettus is more capable as well. This move is a gamble, and Vrabel has to know it.
Bedard here. My understanding is the Patriots see Peppers' role decreasing this season due to his lack of mobility, and just decided to move on now.
Shall we review the offseason from hell (2024)? Owner Robert Kraft hired a first-year GM in Eliot Wolf and paired him with the first-year head coach in Jerod Mayo.
Then, Wolf and the Pats decided to hand out a number of contract extensions, re-upping several players who formed the core of a 4-13 team in Bill Belichick's final year. Five of those players are no longer on the roster:
Peppers: 3 years, $24 million
Davon Godcahux: 2 years, $21 million
David Andrews: 2 years, $12 million (injured/retired)
Kendrick Bourne: 3 years, $19.5 million
Josh Uche: 1 year, $3 million
Two more were/are being shopped: Dugger (4 yrs, $57 million) and Anfernee Jennings (3 yrs, $12 million).
The remainder of that extension crew - Michael Onwenu, Rhamondre Stevenson, Jahlani Tavai, Christian Barmore, and Hunter Henry - should have their heads on a swivel, if not this year, then next.
Peppers, by the way, has $4.32 million guaranteed remaining on his deal. It won't be long before he finds himself a new home, but in the meantime, the Pats are trusting Vrabel and his crew are as good with personnel moves as they are with coaching the football team.