The New England Patriots recently made two trades that reshaped their current roster.
Pass rusher Keion White was sent to the San Francisco 49ers, and safety Kyle Dugger was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Each deal involved late-round pick swaps, but the Dugger transaction cleared significant future salary cap space for New England.
That financial flexibility has raised questions about whether additional roster changes are coming before the NFL trade deadline.
ESPN insider Adam Schefter recently provided insight into the Patriots’ decision-making process.
“Look at the return, what they got back, and you can see the return on the investment. I think at that point in time, you’re looking to clear out the roster spot, the money, whatever they can, to move on from the particular player that they obviously were done with. I mean, you’re not getting back a whole lot of compensation. The compensation is the flexibility that provides you to go add other players to your roster. And that’s what they can do now,” Schefter said.
ESPN's @AdamSchefter believes that the Kyle Dugger and Keion White trades were both made with the idea of unloading the players pic.twitter.com/e4kIYyHUsf
— WEEI Afternoons (@WEEIAfternoons) October 29, 2025
Several positions require attention, with safety, running back and wide receiver standing out as the most pressing needs.
Linebacker, edge rusher and tight end could also be addressed depending on how the market develops.
The secondary is particularly thin following Dugger’s departure, with Craig Woodson, Jaylinn Hawkins and Dell Pettus as safeties on the roster.
That leaves New England somewhat short-handed at a critical position heading into the second half of the season.
Running back remains another area to monitor, though the coaching staff may want to further evaluate rookie TreVeyon Henderson.
At wide receiver, Stefon Diggs, Mack Hollins and Kayshon Boutte have provided consistency, but the depth behind them has not.
With 10 picks in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Patriots do have the assets to make additional moves before the deadline.
NEXT: Patriots Have Haul Of 2026 Draft Picks After Recent Trade