Sunday Patriots Notes: New defensive scheme, new success for linebacker Marte Mapu

A 53-man roster and 17-member practice squad are set which officially turns the New England Patriots’ attention to Week 1 of the regular season.

Naturally, most of our attention this week was on roster cut down day and the coinciding moves, which is where are focus will be in our weekly wrap-up before the page is turned to the Las Vegas Raiders.

With that said, welcome to the latest edition of our Sunday Patriots Notes.

Mapu at linebacker

Since entering the league as a third-round pick in 2023, Marte Mapu has bounced

back and forth between safety and linebacker. That was largely due to his skillset, as Mapu has the size step down into the box and the athleticism to hang in the backend.

But under new head coach Mike Vrabel and defensive coordinator Terrell Williams, that flexibility is now being channeled in one direction: linebacker.

Despite being listed at 6-foot-3, 230 pounds, Mapu shared he is playing closer to 215 pounds this season — more in-line of the prototype for a second-level defender in Vrabel’s system. And even after missing a period of time this summer, Vrabel has been left impressed by Mapu’s approach to the change.

“He’s been a core special teams player, and has worked at some spots on the inside, and I think that he’s continued to develop,” Vrabel said. “I think he worked extremely hard when he was away to get back in there and to be ready to go, and showed us a lot by getting ready to go for the Giants game. So, clearly shows that he wants to earn a role, and is trying to do that.”

After not being able to build off a strong preseason opener due to injury, Mapu returned for the Patriots’ preseason finale and picked up where he left off.

In addition to showing his coverage skills and closing speed to break up a pass to a running back, Mapu tallied four tackles as showed improved block-shedding against the run.

“Now that I’m down there all the time that’s something I had to add to my game. If I wasn’t able to get off blocks then I probably wouldn’t be here right now to be honest,” Mapu said. “When I first was told that I was going to be moving into the linebacker room, that’s something that I immediately just started trying to be intent about. Ask questions about, and then just practice. It was mostly just trying to rep it.”

Playing closer to the line of scrimmage isn’t entirely new for the 25-year-old. During his time at Sacramento State, Mapu was often used in the box and played in space. That has helped the ease the transition, along with guidance from teammates.

“In college, I was a nickel, so they would move me in the box, outside the box,” he said. “I was more used to playing out in space, but as time went on this year I’ve gotten more comfortable in having people like [Spillane] and [Jahlani Tavai]. People that have been able to walk me through the game. That’s helped me a lot. So now I feel way more comfortable. But at first, it was something different for sure.”

Securing his spot on the Patriots 53-man roster, Mapu will remain a core special teamer — often serving as the top personnel protector in practice — while continuing his adjustment at linebacker.

With just four players currently in the linebacker room, limited depth could eventually push him into a more prominent defensive role, especially with the attacking style of play favoring Mapu’s skillset.

“It’s just the simplicity of it. You don’t have to read stuff as much. You just get more downhill,” he explained. ““I feel like [the coaches] make it pretty simple. Just the way that things are structured is not too hard to learn.”

Claiming connections

Several of New England’s offseason additions in free agency were players with ties to the front office or coaching staff. That included a handful of Mike Vrabel’s former Titans (Harold Landry, Robert Spillane, etc.).

As the Patriots then made a pair of waiver claims following cut down day, both players featured familiarity with the new front office; Patriots Vice President of Player Personnel was in New York when the Giants drafted quarterback Tommy DeVito, while Vice president of football operations and strategy John Streicher spent last season in Los Angeles when the Rams signed cornerback Charles Woods as an undrafted free agent.

“We’ve had coaches and personnel people throughout the League at different spots, whether that be me, [John Streicher] Stretch, our coaches, Ryan or anybody. I think that’s just one part of the evaluation, having some working knowledge of what the player’s done in the building,” Mike Vrabel explained.

“How are they day-to-day? We can all watch the performance and see what it looks like on the film, but the practice, the habits, how they are in the building, how they prepare and did they improve? I think those are some insights, whether it’s this particular instance or if it’s just somebody else that we’re trying to target. So, I think that that can always help. It wasn’t the main factor in this decision.”

Newbies

Following two straight four win seasons and a new front office plus coaching staff, it was expected New England would turnover a large portion of their roster. With DeVito and Woods now in the building, the Patriots 53-man roster features 25 new players who were not with the organization last season.

That’s good for 47 percent of their active roster.

Woods’ role

An undrafted free agent out of SMU, Charles Woods played just 14 defensive snaps at cornerback for the Rams last season. His man contribution as a rookie instead came on special teams.

Appearing in 12 games, Woods played 166 special teams snaps across five different unist (kick return, kick coverage, punt return, punt coverage, field goal block) for LA. That featured time as both a gunner and jammer, a position the Patriots were thin at following the season-ending injury to Marcellas Dial Jr. Woods could now hold a special teams role early-on in his Patriots tenure, while his work at those two spots in particular helped led to Javon Baker’s departure.

Gonzo’s status

Patriots All-Pro cornerback Christian Gonzalez has not practiced since July 28, when he left the session early with a hamstring injury after pulling up in coverage on Stefon Diggs. While initial reports were that Gonzalez would be ready for Week 1, his absence on the practice fields to conclude the week presents some level of doubt with his status.

As New England returns to work on Monday and Wednesday — where the first injury report of the season will be released — Gonzalez’s presence on the practice fields will be the top storyline to monitor.

Peppers’ release

It was a somewhat surprising move that the Patriots released safety Jabrill Peppers in the first year of a three-year extension he signed last offseason. But, the veteran, who played in the first and third preseason games while being held out of the second contest due to a minor injury, had been leapfrogged on the depth chart in recent weeks by safeties Jaylinn Hawkins and Craig Woodson.

The duo project as better fits than Peppers in Mike Vrabel’s defense that requires more deep zone coverage responsibilities out of their safeties, but one follow-up question immediately comes to mind: is this Patriots roster talented/deep enough to outright release a player of Peppers-caliber?

Chism’s treatment

Wide receiver Efton Chism III was a regular sight for quarterback Joshua Dobbs on the football field, as Chism led the Patriots in receptions and receiving yards in their first two preseason games. Off the field, the undrafted receiver has also been a regular sight for quarterback Drake Maye in one particular area in the Patriots facility.

“He’s always in the treatment room,” Maye said of Chism. “I always joke with him — he’s always in there working on his body and getting healthy. I’m like, ‘Good gosh, you’re the No. 1 treatment guy.’

“But hey, that stuff matters. I think at the end of the day, stuff like that, showing up every day and doing things right gets you on the team and gets you on the field. It’s what’s made the Patriots so good in the past.”

Following a touchdown to end the first half in preseason game No. 2, Chism did not play the second half and missed the next week of practice with a lower left leg injury. After making the 53-man roster on Tuesday, he returned to the practice field, however.

“Availability is the best ability, right? For me to not be out there the past couple weeks really sucks,” Chism said. “I’m in there two, three times a day trying to do as much as I can to get back.”

Breakups

“That’s news to me,” Mike Vrabel responded when asked about the report of Kendrick Bourne and Marcus Epps requesting their release.

“I mean, I think that we just, again, try to put the roster together. I guess when it when it doesn’t work out, you break up with somebody, your girlfriend doesn’t want to be with you, and then you say, ‘Well, I don’t want to be with you either.’ I’m not going to get into all that.”

Settling down

Week 1 will mark Drake Maye’s first career opening day start, as he began his rookie season on the bench in favor of Jacoby Brissett last year. With some expected early-game jitters — which negatively affected him in the preseason game in Minnesota with a pair of high passes — Maye has a plan to help settle into the opener.

“It’s kind of like back in the day playing basketball: find a layup before you start shooting some threes. I think just whether it’s a good run with the guys up front, the running backs or maybe an easy completion,” he explained. “But other than that, I think it’s just getting out there, and I think that’s part of it. Whether it’s going to be jitters or going to be fired up, that’s more what it is, just to kind of calm that.