Three days before the NFL trade deadline, the rumor mill is working overtime. The latest batch of rumblings involve the New England Patriots, and a handful of players they apparently would be open to moving.

Among them, rather surprisingly, is safety Kyle Dugger. According to a report by Dianna Russini of The Athletic, the Patriots are open to parting ways with him as well as three others:

The 49ers have called around looking to add to their defense; New England defensive tackle Davon Godchaux is available, and the Niners know it. The Patriots also are open to moving wideouts Tyquan Thornton and Kendrick Bourne as well as safety Kyle Dugger.

Dugger, 28, was selected by the Patriots in the second round of the 2020 draft. Since then, the Lenoir-Rhyne product has appeared in a combined 59 regular season and playoff games and was named a replacement team captain earlier this season. A foundational piece of the New England defense, Dugger signed a four-year, $58 million contract extension with the team earlier this year.

Given his importance to the team’s operation both on the field and in the locker room, Dugger being traded would come as a major surprise. The fact that the future of fellow starting safety Jabrill Peppers is in question — he remains on the commissioner’s exempt list follow an arrest in October — only adds to the curious nature of the report.

The Patriots trading the other players mentioned, on the other hand, would not be that big of a shocker. Davon Godchaux, Tyquan Thornton and Kendrick Bourne were all mentioned on our list of potential trade candidates given their respective situations.

Out of the three, Thornton appears the most plausible trade candidate relative to his role on the team: he is a depth option at wide receiver only, and recently missed two straight games as a healthy scratch. Unlike Bourne or Godchaux, who are starter-level players and well-established leaders in the locker room, Thornton’s future with the organization has been in question ever since he lost his starting job early in the season.

The NFL trading window will remain open until 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Nov. 5. Leading up to it, the Patriots will face the Tennessee Titans on Sunday for a 1 p.m. ET kickoff at Nissan Stadium.