After a surprising loss to the Las Vegas Raiders to begin the 2025 NFL season, the Mike Vrabel-led New England Patriots are hitting their stride. They've won five straight games heading into Week 9, and they sit atop the AFC East with an impressive 6-2 record.
Conventional wisdom would say that teams with this standing, especially those with a quarterback on a rookie deal, should be buyers at the trade deadline. However, the Patriots have been sellers, so far, as that November 4 deadline approaches.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Patriots struck a deal with the San Francisco 49ers, sending defensive end Keion White and a 2026 7th-round pick to the 49ers for a 2026 6th-rounder. But general manager Eliot Wolf wasn't done.
Patriots trade safety Kyle Dugger to Patriots for late-round pick swap
Later on Tuesday, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported that New England was making another trade, this time, involving safety Kyle Dugger. The Patriots will be sending Dugger and a 2026 7th-round pick to the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for a 2026 6th-round pick.
To sum up: the Patriots shipped off both White and Dugger within an hour of each other for two late-round pick swaps. Now, the team is equipped with more ammunition so that they can finally be the buyers that most expected them to be.
Dugger's departure was all but expected, as he went from playing 98% and 90% of the snaps in 2023 and 2024 to just 44% through the first seven games under Vrabel. The Patriots are set at safety with Jaylinn Hawkins and Craig Woodson, which made Dugger expendable.
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Ironically, both of New England's starting safeties from the last two seasons are now with the Steelers. Jabrill Peppers signed with Pittsburgh earlier this year after being stunningly released by the Patriots ahead of the season.
Unfortunately, because the Patriots signed Dugger to a four-year, $58 million deal ahead of the 2024 season, they'll take on dead cap hits of $4.76 million and $9 million over the next two seasons. They will, however save $10.5 million in 2025.
Now, with several of the obvious trade candidates out of the building, the Patriots can turn their attention to players on other rosters that they want to target for a potential playoff push. An addition at wide receiver or on the interior offensive line could be in order.
It is shaping up to be an eventful week for Patriots fans, as Wolf seemingly got the metaphorical ball rolling today for NFL teams. Keep your eyes peeled for several more moves to be made, both shipping players off and bringing players in.