There seems to be high demand for Patriots players drafted before Mike Vrabel returned to New England as the head coach.
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On Tuesday, the Patriots traded safety Kyle Dugger and a 2026 seventh-round pick to the Steelers in exchange for a ’26 sixth-round pick. Dugger was traded to Pittsburgh minutes after the news broke of the Patriots sending defensive end Keion White to San Francisco.
Dugger was viewed as a cut candidate after he was demoted to the second team and forced to prove himself during preseason games. He now gets a fresh start in Pittsburgh and could gain a starting job to aid one of the worst secondaries in the league.
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Here are the trade grades for the Patriots and the Steelers.
Dugger not getting much of a chance to prove himself to Vrabel is a red flag. Dugger went from playing more than 90% of the defensive snaps the past two seasons to having to showcase himself in the preseason, as rumors swirled about him potentially being cut.
However, the Steelers likely had no issues ignoring the red flag because they desperately need help improving a defense that’s allowing a league-worst 273.3 passing yards per game. That’s nearly 15 yards more than the Cowboys, the second-worst pass defense in the league.
Dugger, a 2020 second-round pick, started four games for the Patriots, but played only 44% of the defensive snaps in seven games this season. He appeared to be a core player in New England after impressing in his first four seasons, eventually getting a four-year, $58 million contract extension before the 2024 season.
After losing his starting job, Dugger has a chance to climb the Steelers’ depth chart after safety quickly DeShon Elliott injured his knee in last week’s loss to the Packers.
Pittsburgh’s secondary got torched by Joe Flacco and Jordan Love in back-to-back weeks. But Dugger’s strengths are better utilized closer to the line of scrimmage, and he hasn’t excelled as a downfield coverage player. Perhaps the Steelers are thinking Dugger’s physicality can spark a defensive front that has disappointed despite having T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith. Also, linebacker Patrick Queen is in the midst of a down season.
If Dugger can be a do-it-all playmaker, maybe that will wake up the pass rush, which could mask the secondary’s issues. Jalen Ramsey and Darius Slay haven’t worked out in their first seasons as cornerbacks for the Steelers.
Still, it might not be a bad idea for the Steelers to take the Patriots’ approach and ship out some of their struggling defenders while tinkering with their personnel, especially at cornerback.
Grade: B-
Clearly, Vrabel didn’t view Dugger as a scheme fit and never made a true effort to make it work.
The Patriots shook up their defensive roster in the offseason. They wasted no time revamping the unit by spending money in free agency, including the additions of Milton Williams, Harold Landry III, Robert Spillane and Carlton Davis III.
With Dugger not in the mix, the Patriots were wise to hold on to him until the right trade offer. New England now has two extra sixth-round picks after shipping Dugger and White to different teams and could potentially flip those to help their first-place team before the Nov. 4 trade deadline.
It might have helped Vrabel set the standard in New England after forcing established players, like Dugger, to prove themselves. And if they didn’t, the Patriots had plenty of depth to give other players opportunities thanks to their busy offseason.
Vrabel has done plenty right since returning to New England this year.
