The New England Patriots are making moves on Tuesday, one week ahead of the NFL trade deadline.

The Pats already traded edge rusher Keion White to the San Francisco 49ers earlier today. White will aim to help the Niners’ pass rush after losing Nick Bosa for the season.

Later on Tuesday, the Patriots agreed to trade safety Kyle Dugger to the Pittsburgh Steelers for a 2026 6th & 7th round pick. Dugger lost his starting job with the Pats and will now seek a starting role with the Steelers. Pittsburgh recently lost star defensive back DeShon Elliott with a gruesome injury in the loss to the Green Bay Packers last Sunday night.

Here is what Adam Schefter said about the trade.

“The Patriots signed S Kyle Dugger to a 4-year, $58M deal just last year, but that was before Mike Vrabel arrived with his new defensive scheme. Dugger has started 69 games and recorded 9 INTs in his career.”

Dugger is a great player. The Steelers are getting a veteran who knows how to lead a secondary. Dugger has been a steady hand for the Pats over the last few years as they have dealt with some poor play on the field after the Tom Brady and Bill Belichick era.

The Patriots are not selling, but have sent away two defensive depth players. Depth is needed in today’s era, with the number of injuries to starting players. New England feels that the draft capital that they are building is the best thing for the future. The defense that Mike Vrabel has right now is playing extremely well. The hope is that they can continue their elite play while staying healthy.

As a result of the trade for the Steelers, they are placing Elliott on IR to make room on the roster.

The Steelers beat the Patriots in Week 3.