The New England Patriots‘ defense has been the team’s identity for multiple years, and this year, new head coach Mike Vrabel doubled down on that. He made numerous additions through free agency and the draft to add valuable assets and depth to this already strong defense. One of the positions that really got beefed up is the safety room, which was already a strong point of the Patriots’ defense.

New England is returning their two starters from last year, Jabrill Peppers and Kyle Dugger, who will most likely start again this season, barring any injuries. They also made two new additions to the safety room, signing 29-year-old Marcus Epps and drafting California safety Craig Woodson in the fourth round. Those two will most likely round out the backups, and there are still other players competing for the third-string roles like Jaylinn Hawkins, Brenden Schooler, and Dell Pettus.

This leaves very limited space for third-year player Marte Mapu, who has shown potential in his first two seasons. Mike Vrabel and the coaching staff realize that, but they do not want to give up or let Mapu go. That is why the Patriots have decided to move Mapu to linebacker. Although Mapu was a safety, he is still 6’3 230 pounds and a hard hitter that can play in the box.

So far in just two seasons, Mapu has recorded 64 tackles, a half sack, seven pass deflections, four forced fumbles, and two interceptions. He also missed seven games last season with a neck injury, and he has only started 10 out of the 27 games he played in. With more opportunity, his athleticism, and being closer to the football, this change might be what kicks his career into a whole new level.

The Patriots have Anfernee Jennings and Christian Elliss returning from last year at linebacker, and they also brought in multiple free agent linebackers like Harold Landry, Robert Spillane, Jack Gibbens, and K’Lavon Chaisson. The Patriots also brought back Jahlani Tavai, but he recently suffered a calf injury that is supposed to sideline him until training camp, which is going to put him a step back from everyone else.