How Jabrill Peppers’ Return Affects the Patriots’ Roster and Depth Chart

The New England Patriots defense received an unexpected boost on Monday. As was announced by the NFL, safety Jabrill Peppers has been reinstated to the team’s active roster after missing the last seven games on the commissioner’s exempt list.

While his legal situation following an October arrest remains unresolved, Peppers is therefore back with the team and permitted to participate in all football activities. What does that mean for the club, though? Let’s assess the move.

Improved safety depth

Before his legal issues began, Peppers had been a mainstay in the New England secondary. Playing 241 defensive snaps over the first four weeks of the season, he was on the field for 94 percent of reps.

It remains to be seen how quickly the 29-year-old will return to those levels of participation, but his mere presence improves the safety room as a whole. Peppers is an experienced, starter-level player with a knack for the football, who was voted a team captain back in September; having him on the roster makes it a better and deeper one.

In total, New England now has seven safeties signed between its active roster and practice squad:

53-man roster (6): Kyle Dugger (23), Marte Mapu (15), Jaylinn Hawkins (21), Dell Pettus (24), Brenden Schooler (41), Jabrill Peppers (5)

Practice squad (1): Mark Perry (34)

With Peppers back on the 53-man roster, the Patriots have their nominal top four safeties available for the first time all year. How the group consisting of Peppers, Kyle Dugger, Marte Mapu and Jaylinn Hawkins will be used — and what role backups Dell Pettus and Brenden Schooler will play — remains to be seen.

Captaincy questions

Peppers was voted one of six team captains before the start of the regular season. Shortly thereafter, Ja’Whaun Bentley and David Andrews were lost for the year with injury — prompting the Patriots to name Kyle Dugger and Hunter Henry as replacement captains.