Kyle Dugger‘s name recently emerged as one to watch regarding a trade or release from the Patriots. The veteran safety’s status has come into question largely as a result of his demotion. 
Dugger has taken snaps with the Patriots’ second-team defense in a number of practices, as detailed by Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald. Jabrill Peppers and Jaylinn Hawkins have operated with the starters, with the same also being true of fourth-round rookie Craig Woodson. That has left Dugger alongside Marcus Epps with New England’s backups.
For most of his five-year Patriots tenure, Dugger has handled full-time starting duties. The former second-rounder was one of several defenders who received a new deal last offseason, inking a four-year, $58MM pact after receiving the transition tag. As a result, he is owed a guaranteed base salary of $9.75MM this season. Dugger is also slated to see injury guarantees vest in 2026, making his contract a difficult one to trade for (especially at this time of year).
Struggles in coverage have been a talking point throughout the 29-year-old’s career, but 2024 saw him surrender six touchdowns and a passer rating of 137.4 as the nearest defender. The arrival of Mike Vrabel and a new coaching staff has left Dugger with work to do in terms of reclaiming his familiar role on defense. Vrabel has left the door open, at least publicly, to the Lenoir-Rhyne product earning a starting gig.
“I think just making sure that he’s where he needs to be and understanding the coverage concepts and everything we do,” Vrabel said when asked about Dugger could regain a first-team spot. “Keep working and keep progressing. A lot of this is the guys that have earned a right to take a look with that first unit, and again, there’ll be different lineups and different things, so just focus on the reps that you get.”
Dugger has made between 78 and 109 tackles during his four seasons as a full-time starter, collecting nine interceptions during that span. That production is set to decrease significantly unless he manages to make up ground over the next few weeks.