New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel said a lot of things went into the team's decision to release veteran safety Jabrill Peppers. But Peppers' fit -- or lack thereof -- in New England's new defensive scheme wasn't one of them.

Vrabel addressed the team's surprising decision to move on from Peppers late Monday morning after he took the podium at Gillette Stadium for his first Week 1 press conference as head coach of the Patriots. The 29-year-old safety was released Friday despite being a team captain last season and a strong veteran voice in the secondary.

Vrabel said releasing Peppers was not a matter of his fit in the team's defensive scheme, because the Patriots' defense is going to deploy many different schemes throughout the season.

"That was not the issue. We're going t

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