The New England Patriots sent ripples through the fan base on Friday afternoon when they decided to release long time starting safety, Jabrill Peppers, seemingly out of the blue.

The decision came off the tail of teammate Kyle Dugger’s roster spot being questioned, confirming that head coach Mike Vrabel has a very different idea of what the safety room in New England is going to look like going forward.

Now, two days later, the team has still not elaborated on the decision, but insider Mike Reiss told us what he knows.

“The Patriots are prioritizing a different style of play from their safeties than what former coaches Bill Belichick and Jerod Mayo valued at that position. That’s the short answer as to why starter-turned-backup Jabrill Peppers was released Friday,” Reiss writes.

Reiss then went on to say that, while it might’ve been a surprise for fans, it was a premeditated move dating back to the first few weeks of training camp.

“One front office source from an NFL team said Peppers’ name had come up in trade discussions earlier in August, so the Patriots’ decision to cut ties with him didn’t come as a surprise to that team,” Reiss continued.

Perhaps the decision was less about Peppers not having a role, and more about how the former captain would react to a diminished presence. The nine year vet is well respected across the league, benching a player like that is sometimes a little tricky.

“Could the Patriots have fit Peppers into their plans in more of a niche role? Absolutely. Would Peppers have been OK with that? That’s less clear at this point,” Reiss concludes.

Phil Perry Confirms It Was Not An Off Field Concern

In the days following the decision, fans speculated if it could have been in response to yet another off the field issue. Peppers missed a majority of last seasons games, only appearing in six contests.

Part of this had to do with the safety being placed on the commissioners exempt list while he was under investigation for a domestic assault.

“Peppers, 29, was charged with assault and battery on a household or family member, assault and battery with a deadly weapon and strangulation. Quincy District Court composed a jury of five women and one man, which unanimously found him not guilty after deliberating for roughly one hour on Friday,” NESN published this January.

But insider Phil Perry confirms this did not play into this decision.

“Nothing off-field, I’m told. No incidents. If that’s what folks are wondering,” Perry said in a tweet.

Reiss Warns Of Becoming Too Set In Scheme

The word scheme fit has come up a lot when discussing this 53-man, even more than usual. Yes, every team is constantly looking for “scheme fits” but you need 53 ball players too.

Mike Reiss warns of becoming a slave to the scheme.

“There is a needle to thread between employing a system/philosophy that has been discussed often and being flexible/adaptable enough to make sure the system doesn’t force out talented players who might not fit,” Reiss wrote in a Q/A on X.