Mike Vrabel responds to Kyle Dugger trade block report

Patriots

The two veterans were put in an unusual spot last week.

Are the Patriots trying to move on from two of their top four tacklers from last season?

According to Andrew Callahan of the Boston Herald, New England has made it known to other teams that safety Kyle Dugger and linebacker Anfernee Jennings are available for trade.

Patriots coach Mike Vrabel was asked about the reported status of the two veterans ahead of Thursday’s preseason finale during an interview on 98.5 The Sports Hub.

“I don’t know, you reported a lot of things that may not have been true,” Vrabel told 98.5’s Scott Zolak, according to MassLive’s Mark Daniels. “So I wouldn’t put a lot of stock in the reports that go around. You know that better than anybody.”

Both players were put in an unusual spot during last week’s preseason win against Minnesota, playing deep into the second half. Dugger recorded an interception on the final play of the game. Jennings recorded three sacks.

They aren’t the kinds of players who typically play in the second half of preseason games, and it showed.

Dugger posted 81 tackles last season, good for second on the team. Jennings was fourth with 78.

But, along with the late reps from last week, there have been signs in practice that the coaching staff has at least considered diminished roles for both players.

Rookie Craig Woodson and veteran safety Jaylinn Hawkins have both taken reps ahead of Dugger in practice recently. The Patriots have added depth at their EDGE positions, with Keion White, Harold Landry, and K’Lavon Chaisson getting plenty of action at Jennings’s position.

Dugger and Jennings have each played five seasons in New England after being selected by the franchise in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Dugger was a team captain last season, and he recorded 109 tackles in 2023. He is coming off of a high-ankle sprain, and hasn’t looked quite like himself in camp.

Jennings has a reputation as a strong edge setter in the run game, but there are questions as to how he fits in the new coaching staff’s defensive scheme. Vrabel has praised Jennings’s competitiveness, but also noted that he has brought in other players at his position.

After Thursday’s preseason finale in New Jersey, the Patriots will travel back to Foxborough, where they’ll have a few more practices before they have to trim the roster down to 53 players on Tuesday.

Khari A. Thompson

Sports Reporter

Khari Thompson covers professional sports for Boston.com. Before joining the team in 2022, Khari covered college football for The Clarion Ledger in Jackson, Miss.