Patriots reportedly cutting one of Bill Belichick's final draft picks
The Patriots have reportedly informed linebacker Marte Mapu of their plans to release him.
The New England Patriots have reportedly informed linebacker Marte Mapu of their plans to release him, according to ESPN's Mike Reiss . Mapu was one of former Patriots coach Bill Belichick's final draft picks in 2023. The only remaining players from that class are Christian Gonzalez, Kayshon Boutte, DeMario Douglas and Bryce Baringer.
With Mapu on the outs, the depth chart for the Patriots at linebacker is almost unrecognizable. Jack Gibbens left for the Arizona Cardinals in free agency, and the team released longtime veteran Jahlani Tavai. Christian Elliss and Robert Spillane remain the top middle linebackers on the roster.
Mapu appeared in 17 games last season and racked up 25 tackles, five passes defended, one forced fumble and one interception. His snap count was way down from the previous season, when he played on 72 percent of the snaps under former coach Jerod Mayo. Under Mike Vrabel, however, Mapu was only in on 12 percent of the defensive snaps, with an uptick of 58 percent usage on special teams.
The many losses at linebacker should tip the Patriots' hand to a move of some kind at linebacker in the 2026 NFL Draft. Follow Patriots Wire on Twitter and Facebook . This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: Patriots reportedly cutting one of Bill Belichick's final draft picks