New England Patriots
A change of scenery could benefit the two players in the suggested swap.
The NFL’s Nov. 4 trade deadline is quickly approaching.
There have yet to be any reports actually connecting the Patriots to players and potential deals, but the team has been named in several trade proposals by NFL writers.
Many insiders have suggested that New England should trade for running backs such as the New York Jets’ Breece Hall or the New Orleans Saints’ Alvin Kamara, two examples of elite RBs who would likely come at a significant cost.
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell instead proposed a trade between the Patriots and Houston Texans in which the teams swap lower-level players in safety Kyle Dugger and RB Dameon Pierce.
Dugger was demoted from his starting role in August in part due to an ankle injury, a position he had held since being drafted by New England and then-head coach Bill Belichick in 2020. The 29-year-old pass defender inked a four-year, $58 million contract extension under Jerod Mayo’s regime in April 2024. The deal was deserved as he made a name for himself as a core part of the Patriots’ defense over the years.
If the Patriots do trade Dugger, they’ll almost certainly have to eat some of the money remaining on his contract. Barnwell explains that in his proposal, New England would fork over $5 million of his salary for 2025.
Despite New England’s reported attempts at trading Dugger ahead of roster cutdown day back in August, he made the 53-man roster and has played in a limited role all season.
The surprising release of Jabrill Peppers helped keep Dugger on the roster and in games this season, but as Barnwell explains, the Patriots clearly don’t want to play him “unless it’s absolutely necessary.” For example, he played 100 percent of defensive snaps against the Saints last week solely because Jaylinn Hawkins was out due to a hamstring injury.
Versus the Buffalo Bills in Week 5, Dugger played just one defensive snap and six special teams snaps.
“Dugger’s not that far removed from being a valuable player for Bill Belichick in New England, though, and while the 29-year-old’s previously elite traits might have slipped after an ankle injury, there are just too many teams in need of help at safety,” Barnwell wrote. “… I’m not sure they really trust him to be on the field in games that matter unless it’s absolutely necessary.”
Given Dugger’s lack of playing time and that New England tried dealing him just a couple of months ago, it makes sense to swap him to a safety-needy team like the Texans in exchange for a RB to replace Antonio Gibson. Gibson tore his ACL against the Bills.
The suggested return for Dugger in Pierce is a 25-year-old who was drafted by Houston in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft. The 5’10” back has played just two games this season and has been a healthy scratch three times.
In Pierce’s career, he’s averaging 41.9 rushing yards per game and has scored eight touchdowns on the ground. He was a pass-catching back in 2022 and ‘23, but hasn’t been utilized that way since.
The proposed swap is a low-risk move that would likely benefit all parties. Dugger would get more playing time and receive a change of scenery, and the same could be said for Pierce. Plus, the Patriots and Texans would each fill a large hole that opened due to injuries.
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