Articles by Andrew Callahan,Doug Kyed

Technology

Sources: Patriots trading S Kyle Dugger to one-time AFC rival in pick-swap deal

The Patriots are trading veteran safety Kyle Dugger to the Steelers, sources confirmed to the Herald. ESPN reports the Patriots are sending Dugger and a seventh-round pick to Pittsburgh for a sixth-round pick. His trade mirrors the same return the Pats received for shipping defensive lineman Keion White to San Francisco. Unlike White, Dugger has been on the trade block for months. The 29-year-old endured a setback in his recovery from offseason surgery that addressed an ankle injury he played through last year and never returned to form. Dugger tumbled down the depth chart this summer in his first training camp under Patriots coach Mike Vrabel, whose defensive system different greatly from those Dugger thrived in playing under Bill Belichick and Jerod Mayo. Poor scheme fit and a lack of burst ultimately ends Dugger’s time in New England, which began when he was selected in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft. He started seven of 14 games as a rookie, then 45 of 47 games the next three seasons. He enjoyed a Pro Bowl-caliber season in 2022, recording 78 tackles, three interceptions, a sack, one forced fumble and two defensive touchdowns. Dugger was once viewed as a pillar of the Patriots’ defense, but finished his last Patriots season with 17 tackles in seven game appearances. He was the team’s third safety behind rookie Craig Woodson and veteran Jaylinn Hawkins.

Technology

Source: Patriots trading Keion White to 49ers in pick swap

The Patriots are getting active ahead of the NFL trade deadline. The Pats traded defensive lineman Keion White and a 2026 seventh-round pick to the 49ers for a 2026 sixth-round pick, a source confirmed to the Herald. White, a 2023 second-round pick, was a healthy scratch for the first time in his career in Sunday’s win over the Browns. White finished his last season in New England with six tackles, zero sacks and no QB hits. He played 123 defensive snaps in five games, making just one start this year. White entered training camp as a starter, but lost his job to veteran free-agent pickup K’Lavon Chaisson in the final weeks of the summer. The trade leaves the Patriots with Chaisson, Harold Landry III, Anfernee Jennings, rookie Elijah Ponder and Caleb Murphy on the edge. The Patriots also have rookie fifth-round pick Bradyn Swinson on the practice squad. Additionally, Patriots defensive tackle Milton Williams and linebacker Jahlani Tavai both have experience playing on the edge as defensive ends/outside linebackers. White disappointed for most of the season, playing an undisciplined style that often had him on the ground or otherwise not affecting plays. He recorded just two pressures this season and struggled to set a steady edge against the run. White played 38 total games in New England over two and a half years, each season under a different head coach. Late last year, in his best statistical season, White’s freelancing drew the ire of the coaching staff, and he expressed displeasure about the state of the defense. Former Patriots coaches, including one-time head coach Jerod Mayo, dismissed the criticism. Mayo and his staff were fired the night of the Patriots’ 2024 finale, when White finished the season with a team-high five sacks and 56 tackles. White’s size and physicality appealed to Mike Vrabel’s staff this spring, specifically outside linebackers coach Mike Smith. However, the 26-year-old’s potential never materialized, leaving Vrabel to explain in late August why White’s role had diminished late in training camp. “I mean, I’ve had plenty of conversations with Keion and love how he works and love how he competes. And so, we’re going to need him, we’re going to need all three of them, four of them, five of them, however many guys can help us on the edge and affect the quarterback,” Vrabel said on Aug. 25. “So, I think when everything is said and done, the snaps are going to be pretty even and equal.” White was one of two projected defensive starters to play in the Patriots’ preseason finale, along with safety Jabrill Peppers. A week after playing the Giants in their preseason finale, the team released Peppers in a surprise move. The Patriots struck this deal a week out from next Tuesday’s 4 p.m. trade deadline.