The New England Patriots made some good moves in the 2026 NFL Draft, but they have continued making big decisions to help build the best roster when the season starts. Drake Maye had a stellar sophomore season, and to help him continue growing, Mike Vrabel has focused on improving their offense. But to get to where he wants the team to be, the coach decided to release three players.

“The New England Patriots announced that they have released WR John Jiles and TE Marshall Lang,” read a statement on Patriots.com. Within 24 hours, they also announced another departure, which was confusing for a variety of reasons.

“The Patriots released RB Elijah Mitchell, per source,” wrote Patriots insider Doug Kyed on X.

The Patriots added Elijah Mitchell to their squad for the 2025-26 season. However, the 27-year-old RB failed to even make it to training camp.

WR John Jiles and TE Marshall Lang both were not regular features on the Patriots team. They only made preseason appearances, which is why losing them would not be a big miss for the franchise, as they also picked some strong offensive players to help Maye next season.

Caleb Lomu and Eli Raridon are the standout offensive players the franchise picked in this year’s draft.

They have also been linked to acquire WR A.J. Brown from the Philadelphia Eagles in a trade. Although the official announcement is still pending, the deal is expected to go down around June 1, 2026.

He also shares a great relationship with Patriots HC Vrabel, who coached him during his days with the Tennessee Titans. It was under Vrabel that Brown earned his first Pro Bowl selection.

It is already clear that next season is not going to be easy for Vrabel, as he has had a whole offseason of scrutiny after his recent controversy with Dianni Russini. To help him, the franchise decided to give him some time off, but the coach came back and has already got the support from his players.

Mike Vrabel returns after counseling

The wave of releases the Patriots made came after Vrabel’s return to the team. Due to the controversy with former The Athletic reporter Dianna Russini, Vrabel decided to miss Day 3 of the NFL draft to seek counseling.

WBZ-TV sports director Steve Burton confirmed that Vrabel had returned to the facility on Monday.

Earlier in April, Page 6 released pictures of Vrabel with Russini. This came after the two had been spotted at another location, but at that time, both denied any affair allegations.

Vrabel revealed that he had a conversation with the players, but confirmed that it would not be made public.

On his return to the team, Robert Spillane commented on the situation and showed his support to Vrabel, who was also his coach in Tennessee.

“Coach coaches football and he keeps the main things the main thing,” said Spillane. “I know he’s dealing with personal issues, but when we’re in the building, we speak football… I love coach, and I’m gonna be here to support him as he would be there to support me through everything.”

Despite all the controversy surrounding Vrabel, there is no doubting his ability to coach a team. The Patriots were struggling and had finished 4-13 in 2024. However, he turned things around for them and led them to a 14-3 record before winning the AFC East title. They fell short in the Super Bowl, but with all the acquisitions the Patriots have made, Vrabel will be focused on helping the franchise get back there, but this time bring the Lombardi trophy back to New England.