Marte Mapu
Getty
The Patriots have traded Marte Mapu to the Texans
The New England Patriots have been relentlessly tweaking their roster this offseason, and that has resulted in the team moving on from several key pieces of their 2025 team. The hope is that, by trimming the fat off the roster, the Patriots will be able to return to the Super Bowl next season and win it all this time around.
With the 2026 NFL Draft drawing near, the Pats are continuing their methodical roster-building approach. On Tuesday morning, reports emerged indicating that former third-round pick, linebacker Marte Mapu, was going to be released. The front office ended up reversing course, though, as it appears he is now set to be traded instead.
Patriots Trade Marte Mapu to the Texans
Jonathan M Alexander
The Texans and the Patriots will swap late round picks.
New England selected Mapu with the No. 76 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft as a safety/linebacker hybrid. The Pats liked Mapu’s physical profile and his potential, so while his fit on the defensive side of the ball wasn’t exactly clear, the team opted to take a chance on him in hopes he’d find a role for himself.
Playing for three different coaching staffs in his first three seasons didn’t help, as Mapu started as a linebacker in 2023, switched to safety in 2024, and then moved back to linebacker last season. While he suited up for all 17 games in 2025, Mapu didn’t make much of an impact, as he finished with 25 tackles, one interception, five pass breakups, and one forced fumble for New England.
With Mapu not having a defined role in head coach Mike Vrabel’s defense, and the team continuing to revamp its linebacker room, it wasn’t much of a surprise to see the team intended to release him. Before they could do that, though, the Houston Texans offered to take him off their hands, with the two sides agreeing to a late-round pick swap in the 2027 NFL Draft in order to facilitate this deal.
“The Texans have traded for Pats LB Marte Mapu, per a source,” Jonathan M. Alexander of The Houston Chronicle reported in a post on X. “The Texans and the Patriots will swap late round picks. Those pick swaps are also 2027 pick swaps, per a source.”
Patriots Do Well to Trade Marte Mapu
Patriots S/LB Marte Mapu
GettyPatriots S/LB Marte Mapu
New England is receiving a 2027 sixth-round pick in exchange for Mapu and a 2027 seventh-round pick, so while this isn’t a massive move, it’s a good piece of business from their front office. Initially, the team was set to cut Mapu and receive nothing in return for him. Now, they managed to move up at the backend of the 2027 draft in exchange for a player who they were already going to get rid of.
It’s moves like these that get made around the margins of the roster that help teams win more games, and it’s telling that the Pats have been doing this sort of business for decades now. As the 2026 draft draws closer, expect the team to remain busy and see if there are any other ways for them to accrue more draft capital.