The New England Patriots will play their last preseason game against the New York Giants on Thursday evening. With the cut deadline just five days away, this is the last chance for players to impress the coaching staff and prove that they deserve a roster spot.
Unlike in previous years, the Patriots will have to make some difficult decisions. Their secondary and wide receiver rooms are crowded with quality players, and there isn’t room for everybody.
One of those tough decisions will likely involve safety Marte Mapu, as he hasn’t lived up to his third-round selection.
Patriots DB Marte Mapu’s Time Has Run Out in New England
In Bill Belichick’s last draft in New England, he selected Marte Mapu out of Sacramento State. Coming out of the draft, Mapu was seen as a versatile player, having played in the box, free safety, and slot corner positions in college.
He continued this in the pros, playing the majority of his snaps in the box where he was used as a linebacker and a strong safety. However, Mapu has yet to flourish at either position.
In his two seasons, he combined for 64 total tackles, four forced fumbles, two interceptions, and seven pass deflections. While Mapu hardly played as a rookie, he appeared in 72% of the team’s defensive snaps in the ten games he played last year.
For his performance, Pro Football Focus gave Mapu an overall grade of 50.o in 2023 and 63.4 in 2024. With a new regime in place, they moved Mapu to linebacker, hoping that relieving him of his safety duties, he would return to his college form.
Yet, Mapu hasn’t had any standout days at camp, and he played 40 snaps in their preseason game against the Washington Commanders, which isn’t a good sign. Mapu is currently slotted behind Robert Spillane and Christian Elliss for the inside linebacker spot, and is competing with Jahlani Tavai and Jack Gibbens for backup reps.
Time has run out for Mapu to secure a roster spot, as he’s failed to make an impact in camp and preseason. A split would be best for both sides, as it gives Mapu a chance to secure playing time with a new team, while the Patriots trim down on a crowded linebacker room.