The New England Patriots’ defense rebuild is in full bloom in Foxborough. Coach Mike Vrabel has officially bid adieu to two of his defenders, a duo once at the leading edge of New England’s persona. And he did so mere hours after inking one of the team’s breakout stars to an enormous new contract.

The Patriots dealt two of their previous defensive starters on Tuesday night. They have traded defensive end Keion White and sent a seventh-round draft pick in 2026 to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for a 2026 sixth-round pick. But this is not the only roster change Mike Vrabel’s Patriots have made.

New England has also sent their safety Kyle Dugger and a 7th-round pick to the Pittsburgh Steelers, who already have Jabrill Peppers, the former Patriots player. In exchange, they acquired a 2026 sixth-round pick. The two players have nearly $65 million worth of deals in total. White’s rookie contract is $7.7 million, while Dugger sits with $58 million. But why this decision?

White, Bill Belichick’s second-round pick in 2023, had five sacks in his second season. But now he has hit rock bottom in terms of playing time in 2025, as Vrabel went with Harold Landry III and K’Lavon Chaisson as his starting edge rushers. He appeared on the field on just 26% of snaps for the defense. He registered 88 tackles, six sacks, 21 quarterback hits, and two forced fumbles in his 38 games with the Patriots.

And now he goes to a 49ers roster that requires pass-rushing help, particularly after losing Nick Bosa for the year and losing several edge players to injury. White has one last year remaining on his rookie deal with a $1.8 million base salary in 2026.

The other trade involved the veteran New England defender, Kyle Dugger, who was shipped to Pittsburgh after signing a four-year, $58 million deal last season. Dugger started 2025’s first two games, playing 100% of defensive snaps.

Apart from these two matchups, he played in 44% of defensive snaps, which is his career low. He has made 17 total tackles this year. Overall, he has started 69 games in his career and recorded nine interceptions.

For the Steelers, Dugger fills a critical void left by DeShon Elliott’s knee injury to create a defense that emphasizes physical play and communication even more.

These are all moves that prioritize Vrabel’s commitment to reshaping New England’s roster in the years to come, along with flexibility and scheme-friendly terms.

By shedding $65 million worth of defense talent, New England gets future draft currency and cap room. They placed themselves in positions to be able to extend emerging players who mirror the coach’s hard-sounding rhetoric.

Mike Vrabel’s Patriots on Marcus Jones

While all the headlines were sent to the trades, the Patriots also re-signed one of their most dynamic playmakers to an extension. Corner Marcus Jones signed a three-year, $36 million extension, reports say, to remain in Foxborough through 2028.

The 27-year-old is the leader in the NFL punt return average (21.6 yards per attempt), recording two interceptions this season. He is still one of the Patriots’ most dangerous weapons.

No doubt, Jones has been a big contributor to Vrabel’s 6-2 standing in terms of slot corner and special teams. His game-winning touchdown on an 87-yard punt return versus the Panthers in Week 4 was the epitome of his unique value to the team.

Under Vrabel, the Patriots are fourth in points allowed (18.3) and fourth-tied in turnovers (11), and Jones is the foundation of that achievement. Vrabel is building a Patriots defense on work ethic, physicality, and fate, not name or salary.