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By Andrew Wright
Contributing Sports Writer
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A shocking roster move has come out of Foxboro on Friday.
According to ESPN's NFL insider Adam Schefter, the New England Patriots are releasing projected starting safety Jabrill Peppers.
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Peppers has spent the last three seasons with the Patriots and will now be out on the open market. New England decided to stick with its younger players in Jaylinn Hawkins, Craig Woodson, Kyle Dugger and Dell Pettus over the eight-year veteran.
Peppers appeared in just six games last season, missing seven games while on the commissioner's exempt list following an arrest. Prior to that, he had missed a game due to a shoulder injury and later missed three games due to a hamstring injury. It was only the second time in his career that he'd appeared in fewer than 10 games in a season.
Peppers had a solid three seasons with the Patriots, totaling 178 tackles, three interceptions, 10 passes defended, two forced fumbles and a sack. He was consistently one of the best players on New England's defense.
Age ultimately played a factor in his reported release, as Peppers turns 30 in October and is closer to the end of his playing days than he is to the beginning. A new head coach and youth movement for the Patriots played a huge role in Peppers hitting the open market.
A plethora of teams could use the veteran leadership Peppers brings to the table, so it should not be long before he signs with another team. Some of the better fits for him would be with the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers.
Both of those are hard-nosed defenses, similar to the playing style Peppers has always brought to the field. Wherever he signs, he may be expected to play a pivotal role in the back end of the secondary.
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