Why did the 6-2 Patriots trade away two former starters?

new England Patriots Had a busy day Tuesday signing slot cornerback and punt returner marcus jones to one three year extension So, it is worth $36 million Business defensive end keyon white till san francisco 49ers and safety kyle duggar till pittsburgh steelers In deals that involved swapping late-round draft picks.

The team also plans to sign rookie safety John Saunders Jr.beyond miami dolphinsAccording to sources familiar with the Patriots’ plans to make up for Dugger’s absence from their 53-man roster on the practice squad.

The move comes ahead of Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline (4 p.m. ET).

The Patriots (6-2) have been and are one of the NFL’s surprise teams 1st place in AFC EastWith the five-time defending division champions buffalo bill (5-2) directly behind them. The patriots defeated the bills, 23-20Will play them on the road and at home in week 5 in week 15,

In his first season with the Patriots, coach Mike Vrabel continues to put his stamp on the team, with recent moves exemplifying the latest. Plus, here are three top questions related to the steps a player of ben solak Patriots may benefit from trade.

Why does New England move on from two former starters now?

White and Dugger fit ideally into the old defensive scheme adopted by former head coaches Bill Belichick and Jerrod Mayo, but not so much in Vrabel’s scheme that valued defensive ends who could turn the edge and safeties who could play multiple positions.

White played 74% of defensive snaps in 2024 under Mays, whose scheme valued White’s versatility to play multiple positions (DT, DE, OLB). In the new Vrabel scheme, the staff locked White (6-foot-5, 285 pounds) behind a DE. Harold Landry III (6-2,252) and K’Lavon Chaisson (6-3, 255) — who is at his best at cornerback. White is not a natural bender as he tends to win more with pure power. As a result, White has been on the field for only 25.9% of snaps in 2025.

Dugger is more of a box safety whose ability to play close to the line of scrimmage was seen as an asset by Belichick and Mayo, but he doesn’t take up a ton of safety responsibilities in Vrabel’s scheme, which values ​​guys who can play a variety of roles (which is why Saunders from the Dolphins practice squad appealed to him).

As a result, both White and Dugger slipped down the depth chart. White has been anywhere between the third and fifth defensive end depending on the week. He was a healthy scratch in Sunday’s Week 8 win, partly because he doesn’t play much on special teams, but also because he didn’t always play with the same intensity as he did at the start of the 2024 season when he totaled four sacks in the first two games.

And Dugger was the No. 3 safety on the depth chart, losing his starting role to a six-year veteran. Jaylin Hawkins and a 2025 fourth-round pick Craig Woodson,

How do these moves help the Patriots in the long run?

The draft pick compensation, receiving two sixth-round draft picks in exchange for White, Dugger and two seventh-round draft picks, is modest.

So where does the Duggar business help the Patriots the most financially? They are over the salary cap for 2026 and taking down Dugger’s $10.75 million base salary that year, and an additional $1.5 million in roster bonuses, put themselves in a better position cap-wise. Similarly for 2027, Dugger was scheduled to earn a base salary of $11.75 million in addition to $1.5 million in roster bonuses.

To get out of those years of contract, the Patriots agreed to pay a significant portion of Dugger’s remaining guarantee this year, even though he will play for the Steelers.

On White, it wasn’t working in New England and it seemed like it reached a breaking point when he was inactive this week. So if his departure opens the door to the acquisition of a veteran pass rusher or the rise and development of a young rusher, that could help the team in the future.

White also didn’t always look happy in the locker room at one point in early September telling masslive On his demeanor: “As long as I have a job, I like the fact that I have a job. I could care less. They can put me in the corner. If they’re going to pay me, I’ll play it.”

Is New England ready to move players before the November 4 deadline?

That wouldn’t be a surprise, although the odds are in favor of adding rather than subtracting based on them being in first place. Sources familiar with the team’s thinking That said, a running back and an experienced pass rusher are the two most likely areas they target. They now have two extra sixth-round picks as compensation for potentially being involved in potential trades.

Vrabel said Monday that there are ongoing conversations in the personnel department in which they are “assessing the market around the league.”

Additionally, Vrabel said Monday he expects the practice squad to return Terrell Jennings The 53-man roster will be signed by the end of the week. The team also added two running backs, Rushawn Baker And jonathan wardFor the practice squad on Tuesday.

So between Jennings and Saunders, the Patriots will have a full 53-man roster. This means that if a team acquires a player in a trade, they will need to make a corresponding roster move.

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One player the Patriots should target

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Rasheed Shaheed,

Both Chris Olave And Martyr should be targeted, but Martyr’s cost will probably be lower and it also fits well with the quarterback’s wealth-spreading style drake may,

Martyr brings a field-tipping speed element that is sorely missing in New England’s current receiving corps, and he could easily be extended while leaving enough salary cap space open for a huge WR1 contract next March. –Ben Solak