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Mike Vrabel Gave Strange Dating Metaphor on Why Patriots Cut Two Veteran Players

Liam McKeone

Mike Vrabel offered an interesting explanation for cutting Kendrick Bourne and Marcus Epps from the Patriots' roster.
Mike Vrabel offered an interesting explanation for cutting Kendrick Bourne and Marcus Epps from the Patriots' roster. / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
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The Patriots cut down their roster to 53 players on Tuesday, as every other NFL team was required to do with the preseason in the books. Unlike most other teams, however, New England followed that up on Wednesday by cutting two veteran players who made the initial roster— Kendrick Bourne and Marcus Epps. Both releases were surprising given they came the day after cutdown day.

After the news hit the wire, subsequent reports emerged that Bourne and Epps both requested New England cut them loose to seek opportunities elsehwere. New Pats coach Mike Vrabel was asked about that aspect of the situation on Wednesday and offered a strange dating metaphor as an response.

"That's news to me," Vrabel said in response to the idea that the two veterans asked to be released. "I guess 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 gonna get into all that. ... We're not going to go back and forth here. We're trying to build a roster, you've got to move on from some guys."

An odd analogy but the message Vrabel is sending is clear— the Patriots were the ones who dumped Bourne and Epps, not the other way around.

Bill Belichick may be gone from the NFL but with Vrabel in his seat it would seem the press conferences in Foxborough, Mass. are still must-watch events.

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Liam McKeone
LIAM MCKEONE

Liam McKeone is a senior writer for the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He has been in the industry as a content creator since 2017, and prior to joining SI in May 2024, McKeone worked for NBC Sports Boston and The Big Lead. In addition to his work as a writer, he has hosted the Press Pass Podcast covering sports media and The Big Stream covering pop culture. A graduate of Fordham University, he is always up for a good debate and enjoys loudly arguing about sports, rap music, books and video games. McKeone has been a member of the National Sports Media Association since 2020.

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