Sportsnaut
The Patriots are done with preseason games and now have a ton of decisions to make as the roster has to get down to 53 players. The team already got going by cutting 14 players on Friday, but over 20 more players have to be cut before Wednesday’s deadline.
One of the players who has gotten a lot of coverage this offseason is defensive back Kyle Dugger. Dugger was once thought of as a building block of the Patriots and was even handed a large extension last year. However, Dugger struggled in 2024 and had an inconsistent camp this offseason. As a result, the veteran has been floated in trade/cut rumors frequently.
Jabrill Peppers, Craig Woodson, and Jaylinn Hawkins have all impressed this summer and have been playing ahead of Dugger at the safety spots. The team also has elite special teamer Brenden Schooler, solid veteran Marcus Epps, and Dell Pettus competing for safety spots.
However, Dugger had his best moments of the summer in the preseason finale against the Giants. The veteran racked up six tackles, two pass defletions, and an interception. As a result, Alex Barth of 98.5 The Sports Hub thinks Dugger will end up on the final roster after all.
Barth’s final roster projection has the Patriots keeping Dugger, Hawkins, Peppers, Schooler, and Woodson, with an outside addition being added as well.
“We’ve been back and forth about Dugger throught the summer, but with Vrabel being complimentary of him after an improved showing in the preseason finale, we have him sneaking on the roster to start the season,” explained Barth. “Still, the trade rumors could continue as the season goes on.”
It’s hard to imagine anyone trading for Dugger given his large $15+ million cap hit for 2025. However, it’s possible a safety-needy team could be willing to take a chance on the veteran regaining his prior form.
In 2024, Dugger racked up 81 tackles, eight tackles for loss, and four pass deflections. Pro Football Focus wasn’t a fan of the safety’s work, though, giving Dugger a 44.3 overall grade.
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