After the Super Bowl defeat, the New England Patriots have had a whirlwind offseason, especially with the controversy surrounding head coach Mike Vrabel. Now, as these off-field issues simmer down, the franchise has announced two significant roster moves as Vrabel resumes his official duties after being absent for the third day of the NFL draft.

“The New England Patriots announced that they have released WR John Jiles and TE Marshall Lang,” the franchise confirmed in a statement on their official website.

John Jiles was part of the New England practice squad over the past two seasons after being originally signed by the New York Giants as a rookie free agent out of West Florida in 2024. Similarly, Marshall Lang had two stints on the New England practice squad last season while also being part of the Seattle Seahawks practice squad.

With this move, the Patriots have opened up two spots on the practice squad, which is significant given the addition of four undrafted rookie WRs, one drafted TE, and one undrafted TE.

The Pats signed wide receivers Nick DeGennaro, Kyle Dixon, Cameron Dorner, and Jimmy Kibble as undrafted free agents. To address the void at tight end, the New England front office signed Eli Raridon in the third round and agreed to terms with UDFA tight end Tanner Arkin, an Illinois product.

While the decision allows the Patriots to be creative in looking at solutions for the receiving room, all eyes currently await the much-speculated trade for Philadelphia wide receiver A.J. Brown. ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter reported the development, highlighting how the Patriots’ front office is expected to secure the standout receiver after June 1, as his $43 million dead salary cap charge will be split between this year and next.

“The Eagles remain open to trading Brown, the Patriots remain highly interested in acquiring the star receiver, and conversations are expected to resume on or before June 1, probably culminating in a deal, per league sources,” Schefter reported.

While a big summer awaits the Super Bowl LX runner-ups with the opening leg of free agency and the NFL draft done, Mike Vrabel’s return to football operations will be a paramount step for him and the franchise, especially in the aftermath of the controversy involving the Patriots’ head coach and former NFL insider Dianna Russini.

Pictures of Vrabel and Dianna Russini were leaked by Page Six on April 7, where the two were seen embracing each other at a resort in Arizona before the NFL’s annual meeting in the Grand Canyon State. With the incident creating a massive stir across the NFL landscape, the league issued its verdict on what’s next for Vrabel.

NFL issues verdict on Mike Vrabel after the Dianna Russini controversy

The scandal surrounding New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel and former NFL insider Dianna Russini is drawing plenty of attention, prompting league commissioner Roger Goodell to issue a stance on the incident.

“This is not a personal conduct policy… as we know it today,” Goodell said. “It’s a personal matter, and we’ll leave it at that. I think the teams handle these matters when they’re personal matters, and they have a lot more information that can benefit everyone involved,” Goodell noted when asked if the league would take any action.”

Last week, NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy told ESPN that the league would not be reviewing Mike Vrabel’s actions under its personal conduct policy, which requires players, coaches, and executives to avoid behavior that could harm the league’s integrity or public trust. With Vrabel back on the job and the NFL leaving his personal matters to the team, New England is ready to move forward and build toward next season.