Mike Vrabel might have to eat his first L after making regrettable decision

"He made quite a statement early in his tenure by moving on from nearly every tenured Patriot that had previously been a captain, ridding the roster of any player who had been on the team during the tail end of the dynasty years. He continued that by shockingly releasing others who initially made the roster, with the most unpredictable being safety Jabrill Peppers."

"From the time he was signed during the 2022 offseason, Peppers ascended into one of the Patriots' best free agency signings in recent memory. He helped create a dominant secondary after losing some key contributors in the years before, and was a vocal leader in the locker room that the team desperately needed. That was partially what made his release all the more questionable, even if Vrabel felt, at the time, that it was the right move."

Mike Vrabel overhauled the Patriots roster, moving on from nearly every tenured captain and removing players from the dynasty era. He released several shockingly, most notably safety Jabrill Peppers, who had appeared to have locked up a roster spot during preseason. Kyle Dugger's offseason demotion made Peppers seem the natural starter, but Peppers was cut and later signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Vrabel said Peppers did not fit the planned defensive scheme. Peppers has performed strongly in Pittsburgh, earning high PFF grades and reinforcing his status as a top safety, making his release look like a mistake.

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