Winners and Losers of Patriots Trades

The New England Patriots made two trades on Tuesday. Here’s who made out as winners and who didn’t.

Defensive lineman Keion White of Georgia Tech participates in a drill during the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind, on March 2, 2023. Stacy Revere/Getty Images

The New England Patriots moved two defensive starters on Tuesday despite a first-place standing in the AFC East at 6–2.

New England sent defensive end Keion White to the San Francisco 49ers and safety Kyle Duggar to the Pittsburgh Steelers. The 49ers, in turn, sent a sixth-round draft pick for next year, and the Steelers also sent the Patriots a 2026 sixth-rounder.

Both Duggar and White joined the Patriots as draft picks under former head coach and general manager Bill Belichick, and current head coach Mike Vrabel has been putting his own stamp on the franchise in Year One. Vrabel notably played under Belichick in the 2000s and won Super Bowls, and Vrabel also has righted the ship for New England after back-to-back four-win seasons.

Here’s a look at who won and lost in these recent trades.

Winner: 49ers

The Niners needed help at pass rusher because of a season-ending injury to star edge rusher Nick Bosa in Week 3. San Francisco’s defense has looked suspect ever since the Bosa injury and season-ending injury to star linebacker Fred Warner.

The 49ers only have nine sacks as a team, which is second-worst in the league. Bryce Huff has helped a little, but White will add more force to the pass rush.

A 2023 second-round pick, White has shown promise, which included five sacks and 56 tackles in 2024. This season, White has only played 40 percent of the defensive snaps, however.

White joining the Niners could recalibrate his career, where a team has a major role to fill. The move could also help rookie Mykel Williams, who has been taking double teams in Bosa’s absence.

San Francisco only needed to give up a late-round pick for a talented and young defensive player, who can play on rotation with the defensive line.

Loser: Patriots Defensive

New England gave up two talented defensive players for future picks, which left some fans scratching their heads.

That said, White didn’t develop further under Vrabel this season and didn’t find a niche around defensive additions such as Harold Landry III and K’Lavon Chaisson. White didn’t have a sack with the Patriots this season.

For Dugger, the Patriots let go of defensive back depth with that trade, and that’s a position group that can easily take a toll over the course of a season. Similarly, White at least provided depth for the Patriots’ defensive front, and that could come with a cost, depending on what happens on the injury front.

Winner: Steelers

The Steelers got a productive safety in Dugger, who succeeded in New England but didn’t fit into Vrabel’s scheme.

Dugger played over 90 percent of all defensive snaps two years ago, but this season, he had to compete for a roster spot before the regular season amid placement on the second team. He will get a fresh start with the Steelers, a team that needs pass defense help amid a last-place average of 273.3 passing yards allowed per contest.

Dugger could play right away with DeShon Elliott out due to injury. The Steelers aren’t taking a financial hit on Dugger either. In six seasons, Dugger has nine interceptions and 24 pass deflections.

Winner: Mike Vrabel, Patriots Front Office

The new regime in New England has asserted its authority and vision in these recent trades.

Vrabel is building his own culture in his first year, and he continued his purging of players from Belichick’s previous drafts. While the trades look counterintuitive, the Patriots front office is showing commitment to Vrabel’s vision and building for the future with additional picks to find players who fit the culture he’s establishing. It’s also a message to current Patriots players that they will need to align with Vrabel’s vision and culture, not the other way around. In addition, it shows that the new regime is willing to take risks to build the current team.