Patriots Player Departure Marte Mapu Released [UPDATE: Traded to HOU - Mapu+7th for 6th]

Wozzy said:

I don’t know what point you’re trying to make or why the 4th round is some line of demarcation… probably because Woodson in the 4th was a stud. But three picks after the fourth round were special teamers and all three were starters. Farmer was contributing until he got hurt. Beyond that Bryant and Swinson made the active roster, Bryant never left it.

And again… why do you keep saying starters? How many starters in year one do they need from the rookies? None, one, two max if there are injuries. The entire 2026 draft picks don’t come from the 5th round on so I don’t know what point you’re trying to make.

They had the best record in the NFL, made a Super Bowl… they’re adding 11 picks and have plenty of roster spots to add more players. Only on a Patriots fan forum would this be considered a dire situation.

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1) The 4th round has been the demraction round for this entire century. No player drafted in the first four rounds has been cut before the final cut. Every player has made the 53 or placed on IR

This seems a reasonable demarcation to me.

BTW, Farmer was a 4th rounder.
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SO WHO, AFTER THE 4th ROUND, CONTRIBUTED TO THE OFFENSE AND DEFENSE?
Swinson did NOT make the 53. He was picked up from the PS in November just like lots of other from our team and from others.
My point was that late picks were not to be counted on for contributors.

Yes, Bryant was a fine pick who may or mau not make this year's roster.

Vrabel knew the value of late picks: hopefully good STers.

ctpatsfan77 said:

Apparently they found a trade partner. I assume it's something like HOU's 2027 6 for a 2027 7 back.

Hey @Ross12 . . . Title edit?

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Updated!

So do I have this right?

2026:
Round 1: 1
Round 2: 1
Round 3: 1
Round 4: 2
Round 5: 1
Round 6: 4
Round 7: 1

2027:
Round 1: 1
Round 2: 1
Round 3: 1
Round 4: 1
Round 5: 2
Round 6: 3
Round 7: 0

That is a hell of a lot of 6th round picks. 7 of them across two years. Also, 6 picks in the 4th/5th combined in those two years as well. It will be interesting to see what they ultimately do with these picks. Seems like prime trade-up capital to target specific players in the 3rd/4th, which is when you find good depth/role players/starters at devalued positions.

mgteich said:

1) The 4th round has been the demraction round for this entire century. No player drafted in the first four rounds has been cut before the final cut. Every player has made the 53 or placed on IR

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False. Dimitrius Underwood (1st round, 1999): Signed his contract but left camp after one practice due to mental health issues and never returned. He was cut and had to return his signing bonus.

mgteich said:

This seems a reasonable demarcation to me.

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This is also a function of guaranteed money and contracts…. not a matter of good.

mgteich said:

=================
SO WHO, AFTER THE 4th ROUND, CONTRIBUTED TO THE OFFENSE AND DEFENSE?
Swinson did NOT make the 53. He was picked up from the PS in November just like lots of other from our team and from others.
My point was that late picks were not to be counted on for contributors.

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This was the AFC Championship roster, how many more rookies did you want? Two of the remaining draft picks from the 5th on became the long snapper and kicker. There’s only 7 rounds.

mgteich said:

Yes, Bryant was a fine pick who may or mau not make this year's roster.

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He made last years team and was never relegated to the practice squad, that’s a good sign.

I guess he did not ask for his release
wow, a 7th and Mapu get you a cup of coffee

n1997y said:

Perhaps Mapu and our 6th for Houston’s 6th? Only reasons Houston would trade for him are he’s under contract, and they don’t have to worry about any other team competing for his services. No great value propositions.

I think it’s clear Vrabel is being very intentional about churning the roster. My response to the earlier posts about “why now?” is “why wait?”. He knows Mapu will never be more than he is, so why keep him as a camp body when a UDFA camp body might surprise with unexpected upside? Someone commented this felt like a move that would be made cutting down to 53 and it made me realize Vrabel is constructing his 53 every day, 365 days a year. Once he decided Mapu was not going to fit what he wants for his 53 Vrabel cut him right away. It clears space for another prospect and avoids wasting time for the player and the staff. Room for one more UDFA is better than using a roster slot for a player Vrabel has decided won’t ever be a significant contributor.

Next man up!

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just saying, Mapu was a significant contributor last season
how many udfa's make the roster each season? 1?

Ross12 said:

So do I have this right?

2026:
Round 1: 1
Round 2: 1
Round 3: 1
Round 4: 2
Round 5: 1
Round 6: 4
Round 7: 1

2027:
Round 1: 1
Round 2: 1
Round 3: 1
Round 4: 1
Round 5: 2
Round 6: 3
Round 7: 0

That is a hell of a lot of 6th round picks. 7 of them across two years. Also, 6 picks in the 4th/5th combined in those two years as well. It will be interesting to see what they ultimately do with these picks. Seems like prime trade-up capital to target specific players in the 3rd/4th, which is when you find good depth/role players/starters at devalued positions.

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We should still have our 2027 7th rounder as the pick we sent back to no in the polk trade is our 2028 7th rounder. Otherwise looks all good!

PATSYLICIOUS said:

We should still have our 2027 7th rounder as the pick we sent back to no in the polk trade is our 2028 7th rounder. Otherwise looks all good!

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Right, but the trade in this thread was Mapu + NE's 2027 7th for Houston's 2027 6th. So that leaves them with no 7th next year, I believe.

Ross12 said:

Right, but the trade in this thread was Mapu + NE's 2027 7th for Houston's 2027 6th. So that leaves them with no 7th next year, I believe.

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Oh duh lol yes your list is correct

So on the cusp of the 2026 draft, the Pats again acquire a 2027 pick.

Hopefully the Pats will be inclined to hold onto those picks.

Wozzy said:

Dimitrius Underwood

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Guy had it all. The length, power, and strength to be great. Just an immense talent. Played for Saban at Michigan State. When he wanted to, he was unstoppable. The Aloha Bowl against Washington his junior year he had something like 7 tackles, several were for loss, three sacks, he caused two fumbles and recovered one. All at his RDE position. Lloyd Carr at Michigan would always make sure the TE stayed back to help the OT.

But the mental illness was well known even when he was drafted at the end of the first round by the Vikings. They took a risk, no doubt helped because they already had an earlier first round pick of QB Dante Culpepper in the 1999 draft. And what's so remarkable is that he missed his entire senior season, purportedly for an ankle sprain, but it was an open secret that it was more to do with doodling the apocalypse during team meetings and refusing to stop.

During his stint with the Dolphins he was found roaming Lansing with a severely cut throat that he did to himself while reportedly shouting, "I'm not worthy of God!" I don't think it helped he attended this cult-like church that was stressing endtimes. That just fed the beast.

He loved to work out late with weights starting around ten at night and to listen to Tom Petty, whom he loved. And he was just a sweet, engaging guy.

The Cowboys took a two-year gamble on him even after his double debacle with the Vikings and Dolphins. Which is incredible since he flamed out so spectacularly. Truth be told it started before his senior season in college.

And today when I watch Myles Garrett I get serious Dimitrious Underwood vibes.

What's that quote from Lear? I had to look it up. It's by Edgar disguised as a Poor Tom after meeting the king who's off his rocker:

"Who alone suffers suffers most i' th' mind,
Leaving free things and happy shows behind."

So wait, who is the backup LB now? We had issues here last year with help, but had wonderful depth. Now Mapu, Gibbens and Tavai are all gone.

Wozzy said:

False. Dimitrius Underwood (1st round, 1999): Signed his contract but left camp after one practice due to mental health issues and never returned. He was cut and had to return his signing bonus.

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I give up. I make a statement about the history of patriots drafts since 2001 and how I look at patriot drafts and you point out the Vikings cut a first round draft choice in 1999..

OK!
Please list all the patriots drafted in the first four rounds since 2001 that didn't make the 53-man roster or were placed on IR.

mgteich said:

I give up. I make a statement about the history of patriots drafts since 2001 and how I look at patriot drafts and you point out the Vikings cut a first round draft choice in 1999..

OK!
Please list all the patriots drafted in the first four rounds since 2001 that didn't make the 53 man-roster or were placed on IR.

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To be fair, you did not state anything about the history of the Patriots or 2001 in your response to Wozzy.. So how is he, or anyone else, supposed to know that is what you were referring to?

BobDigital said:

So wait, who is the backup LB now? We had issues here last year with help, but had wonderful depth. Now Mapu, Gibbens and Tavai are all gone.

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For now, Muma and Britt are the backup LB's.

I expect another backup as a draftee and/or as someone signed or claimed before Game 2.

Any draft people have some linebacker targets they like? I wouldn’t be surprised if they drafted two.

BobDigital said:

So wait, who is the backup LB now? We had issues here last year with help, but had wonderful depth. Now Mapu, Gibbens and Tavai are all gone.

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Think Vrabel feels pretty confident in replacing those guys with a draft pick or waiver wire, or muma/britt. None wouldve cost a whole lot to keep for 2026 but he chose to move on. I liked gibbens too but this is very telling imo

rkarp1 said:

I guess he did not ask for his release
wow, a 7th and Mapu get you a cup of coffee

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Always good to see them ensure a cut Patriot doesn't go to an AFC East rival

mgteich said:

I give up. I make a statement about the history of patriots drafts since 2001 and how I look at patriot drafts and you point out the Vikings cut a first round draft choice in 1999..

OK!
Please list all the patriots drafted in the first four rounds since 2001 that didn't make the 53-man roster or were placed on IR.

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You didn’t mention Patriots drafts, you said in entire league history. Now you’re moving the goalposts to only inclide the Patriots. It’s a silly attempt at misdirection on your part anyway. Most high draft picks make the team for the same reason the Pats held onto Tavai last season. It’s actually more expensive to cut some players than to hold onto them. Guaranteed money is funny that way.

I can think of a bunch of players who came in the first four rounds who sucked. Ronnie Perkins was taken in the third in 2021, I told people on the forums he was a poor athlete, many disagreed. He never made the Patriots gameday roster, was designated with the Foxboro flu for two seasons in a row and was cut after a stint on the practice squad in year three. His first game experience came as a Bronco in 2023. They thought he sucked and he never played again.

Duke Dawson was drafted in the second round, he was getting his doors blown off by the stud defensive backfield on the 2019 team, so he was designated with the Foxboro flu. The Pats traded him to the Broncos the very next offseason where he played his only games.

So your argument that four rounds is some magic number is false. It’s not…good players are found in every round. There are also busts in every round. Draft status may buy you some time, but that’s about it.

The draft is a crapshoot, but 11 picks and a lot of money available for UDFA’s provides a lot of bites at the apple. If one offseason is any indicator they’re very good at recognizing talent. I’m not in full panic mode the way you are.

Obviously a precursor to an AJ Brown trade. 2027 2nd and 7 6th rounders for Brown.