The New England Patriots are busy.
They made two trades within an hour of one another on Tuesday night.
First, they sent defensive lineman Keion White to the San Francisco 49ers.
That was the appetizer. Their biggest name moved came next, when they sent Kyle Dugger to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that Dugger and a seventh-round pick are going to the Steelers for a sixth-round pick.
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It’s been quite the downfall in New England for Dugger, who just last year signed a four-year, $58 million contract.
Dugger started 69 games for the Pats and recorded nine interceptions.
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Why did the Patriots trade Kyle Dugger to the Steelers?
This move is all about Mike Vrabel.
The new head coach came in this year, taking over for Jerod Mayo, who had taken over as a direct heir to Bill Belichick.
Vrabel has decided to do things differently.
Almost immediately in the summer, Dugger was bumped out of the first-team defense. And for whatever reason, Dugger wasn’t able to get back with the starters.
Dugger was a Belichick draft pick out of tiny Lenoir-Rhyne in the second round of the 2020 draft. He was viewed as a versatile defender who could be used a lot of different ways.
To an extent, that was true, and Dugger had plenty of bright moments with the Patriots.
But he didn’t fit whatever Vrabel’s vision was for this defense, and so a week before the NFL trade deadline, Dugger is on his way to Pittsburgh.
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