Sportsnaut
The Patriots are preparing to wrap up their preseason slate with a matchup against the Giants on Thursday. It’s been a productive summer for the Patriots as the team has a perfect record in the preseason and has seen some encouraging signs from many players.
Certain players, like undrafted free agent wide receiver Efton Chism III, have stood out and seemingly cemented their place on the roster. Others, meanwhile, like veterans Anfernee Jennings and Kyle Dugger, have played their way onto the hot seat.
Speaking of Jennings and Dugger, Andrew Callahan of the Boston Herald is reporting that both veterans are “available for trade.”
“Patriots safety Kyle Dugger and outside linebacker Anfernee Jennings are known to be available for trade with less than a week left until the NFL’s 53-man roster deadline, according to league sources,” said Callahan. “The Patriots recently raised Dugger’s name in talks with at least one team, while the front office has long been willing to take offers on him and Jennings, sources said.”
This is not exactly a shocking development. Both Dugger and Jennings have played late into the preseason games, which usually isn’t a good sign. Dugger has also been running with the second-team defense in practice as rookie Craig Woodson and veteran Jaylinn Hawkins have supplanted him in the pecking order.
On Monday, Patriots vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf admitted that his front office has been in contact with every other team as we approach cut day. However, the executive explained that it’s harder to get trades done than many may realize.
“We’re talking to all 31 teams and trying to do what’s best for us. I think those things are often a lot more complicated than the fans and some others would like to make you believe,” Wolf said. “But if there is something we think can help us, we’d definitely be open to it.”
From a conract standpoint, trading Dugger would be harder than trading Simmons. Dugger is carrying a cap hit of over $15 million in 2025, and it’s hard to imagine a team trading for that contract considering Dugger’s struggles.
More must-reads:
