Mike Vrabel’s roster purge continues as Patriots cut surprising veteran on eve of season despite guaranteed money left on the table
The Patriots are cutting yet another investment that precedes Mike Vrabel in New England.
It isn’t taking head coach Mike Vrabel very long to put a significant imprint on his Patriots’ roster. The New England Patriots, who hired Vrabel this offseason after a failed succession of Bill Belichick by Jerod Mayo, have been purging talent this summer that was a part of the old guard. Amid the arrival of the start of the season, Vrabel is making one thing abundantly clear.
He wants his guys for this football team.
After purging names like Cole Strange, Layden Robinson, and Javon Baker from the roster, New England is executing yet another cut. This one may be the most significant yet, too — the Patriots are releasing veteran starting safety Jabrill Peppers.
Patriots releasing Jabrill Peppers ahead of 2025 NFL regular season
Peppers’ 2024 season in New England was littered with injuries and hardship. He battled shoulder and hamstring issues and also missed nearly half the season while designated to the Commissioner’s Exempt following an arrest for assault & battery and drug possession. He was eventually found not guilty. Now, with the eve of the 2025 season upon us, Peppers is shaking loose despite New England being on the hook for $4.32 million in guaranteed money remaining on his contract for this season.
Peppers’ bid to land on his feet will be aided by those guarantees, as New England will likely foot the majority of the bill for his 2025 compensation. The Patriots should see kickback in the form of offset money for whatever team signs Peppers to their roster but with that much in guarantees on New England’s books, the rest of the NFL is almost certainly going to look to appeal to Peppers in the form of “fit” and try to negotiate a one-year deal for minimum salary. This would force the Patriots pay off the majority of his salary balance and, effectively, have New England paying Peppers to play elsewhere this season.
This change opens a spot in New England’s safety room, with potentially mid-round rookie Craig Woodson positioned to capitalize. Woodson, after all, was drafted this year and is one of the players that Vrabel should undoubtedly offer a seal of approval for. That recognition is becoming increasingly hard to gain for those who preceded Vrabel here in New England — as Peppers is now finding out the hard way.
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