Patriots Trade Marte Mapu, Gain Draft Pick

0:00It's April 7th. Welcome to NFL News Today, powered by AI. I'm Kory with the story. Patriots just flipped the script on Marte Mappu. Instead of cutting him loose, they're trading the third round pick to the Houston Texans for A. Late round pick swap in 2027. Earlier Tuesday, reports had New England set to release him outright, but they found a deal to squeeze some value out of the move. Mappu came in as Bill Belichek's last draft choice back in 2023, started 10 games early on, but faded to special teams last year under. Mike Vrable only 120 defensive snaps and 255 on kicks. Fans are salty because the past passed on some real stars to grab him, and his time there never clicked. He bounced between safety and linebacker. Without owning a spot, this clear space for fresh linebacker depth in the draft, turning a bust into a small win before they build back stronger.