Patriots Sign Safety To Boost Secondary Depth

The New England Patriots didn’t stop making moves and they have just pulled out a good deal. According to Adam Schefter from ESPN, the Patriots decided to sign veteran safety Jabrill Peppers.

Schefter reported that Peppers will get a one-year deal. We don’t have more info on his deal with the team. Head coach Bill Belichick had Peppers for an in-person workout and I guess the Patriots liked what they got from Peppers. He is the right player to join the team and Belichick is definitely adding depth to his secondary.

Former Giants’ safety Jabrill Peppers reached agreement on a one-year deal with the New England Patriots, per @MikeReiss and me. Peppers tore his ACL last season and is expected to be ready for the start of training camp.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 29, 2022

Patriots sign versatile safety

Peppers, 26, is someone who can provide help in several aspects. Belichick likes versatile players and Peppers is super versatile. The Patriots can use him on defense, special teams, and much more. This seems to be a good option for the 2022 roster.

In 2021, the defender was playing with the New York Giants. He saw action in just six games in the regular season. The veteran tore his ACL in October and missed a big chunk of the season. Sources reveal that he will probably join his team in training camp.

The Cleveland Browns selected Peppers in 2017 with the 25^th overall pick. The team found great use for him in the secondary and we have a few reasons to believe that the Patriots will follow the same pattern.

Peppers is more than a defender. He is skilled punt returner and this makes him an even better option for the Patriots. Gunner Olszewski is no longer playing with the team which makes this deal even more interesting. In two seasons with the Browns, Peppers returned 55 punts and fumbled seven times. In 2020, he returned 15 punts and delivered nine more in 2021.

Jabrill Peppers' snap distribution over the last two seasons, per PFF:

2021:
Slot: 107
Box: 60
DL: 32
Wide CB: 19
FS: 11

2020:
Box: 383
Slot: 264
FS: 143
DL: 77
Wide CB: 44

— Zack Cox (@ZackCoxNESN) March 29, 2022

There’s another catch. Peppers knows Joe Judge really well. Judge was coach for the Giants and now he is the offensive assistant for the Patriots.

The Patriots have a packed unit of cornerbacks, including Devin McCourty, Kyle Dugger, Adrian Phillips, Joshua Bledsoe, and Myles Bryant. Many thought that McCourty would retire but he had other plans and joined the Patriots for another season.