Patriots Reportedly Sign S Jabrill Peppers to One-Year Deal
In an effort to strengthen their secondary, while bolstering their return game, the New England Patriots have reportedly signed safety Jabrill Peppers, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Mike Reiss. New England had hosted the defensive back on a free agency visit at Gillette Stadium on Monday.
According to ESPN’s Field Yates, Peppers’ contract with the Patriots is worth up to $5 million.
The 26-year-old was the first-round draft selection by the Cleveland Browns [25th overall] in the 2017 NFL Draft. The former Michigan Wolverine appeared in 29 games for the Browns throughout his first two years in the NFL. During that time, Peppers started all 29 contests, compiling 137 total tackles (six, for loss), eight passes-defensed, and two interceptions.
In 2019, Peppers was traded to the New York Giants, as part of the deal which sent Odell Beckham Jr. to Cleveland. Peppers spent three seasons with the Giants, playing 32 total games and amassing 196 total tackles (15, for loss), 17 passes-defensed, 3.5 sacks, four forced fumbles and two interceptions. He suffered a torn ACL in October 2021, ending his season.
The Pats interest in his services should not be surprising. Over the course of his five-year NFL career, he has aligned at box safety, free safety, wide cornerback, slot cornerback, hybrid linebacker and even taken some snaps on the defensive line. Peppers also has plenty of experience on special teams, having compiled 117 career returns on both punt and kick return duties.
In addition to his versatility, Peppers likely caught the organization’s sharp eye thanks in part to their new offensive assistant Joe Judge. The safety played the past two seasons under Judge, as he served as the Giants’ head coach. Peppers also visited Foxboro during the 2021 preseason, as the Patriots and Giants participated in joint practices.
With Peppers having chosen to sign with the Patriots, he now joins Devin McCourty, Adrian Phillips, Kyle Dugger, Joshuah Bledsoe, special teams stalwart Cody Davis, and all-purpose defensive back Myles Bryant on the depth chart of the safety position for 2022.
