Tag: Kyle Dugger

Patriots S Kyle Dugger takes responsibility for blown touchdown play

Kyle Dugger accepted responsibility for DK Metcalf’s 56-yard touchdown

New England Patriots safety Kyle Dugger took the blame for the blown coverage on Seattle Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf that led to a 56-yard touchdown.

It was one of the key plays in the Patriots’ 23-20 loss at Gillette Stadium on Sunday.

The confusion appeared to occur between Dugger and Patriots’ second-year cornerback Christian Gonzalez. The lack of help at the top of the play allowed Metcalf to sneak behind the defense for an easy touchdown. It was a big play for Metcalf, who finished the game with 10 catches for 129 yards.

Dugger owned up to his mistake in the locker room when speaking with reporters after the game, per the Boston Herald’s Andrew Callahan.

https://twitter.com/_AndrewCallahan/status/1835426557210353872

The Patriots won’t have long to dwell on the mistakes made in this game with a road trip to MetLife Stadium to take on the New York Jets on Thursday night.

They’ll have to be even better against a Jets offense led by legendary quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

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Status for two starters ‘up in the air’ for the Patriots in Week 2

The health status for two starters is “up in the air” for New England

New England Patriots safety Kyle Dugger, guard Layden Robinson and running back JaMycal Hasty were limited in practice for a second day, ahead of Sunday’s showdown with the Seattle Seahawks.

Per coach Jerod Mayo, via the Boston Herald’s Andrew Callahan, the status of all three players is “up in the air.”

Dugger had six tackles and a forced fumble in Sunday’s victory over the Cincinnati Bengals. Meanwhile, Robinson was a key part of the offensive line, contributing on 100 percent of the offensive snaps.

Hasty did not have any touches in Sunday’s win.

All three are worth monitoring heading into Week 2 against the Seattle Seahawks, but the loss of Dugger and Robinson in particular would mean the Patriots would be down two starters.

Dugger is a cornerstone at safety, while Robinson is continuing his development on the line. Hasty could be an important piece for running back depth with the Patriots shifting back to a run-heavy offensive identity.

https://twitter.com/_AndrewCallahan/status/1834600946757738515/

The Patriots will look to secure their second victory in a row when taking on the Seahawks in their home opener. Not having Dugger and Robinson would make their already uphill climb even steeper in this game.

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WATCH: Kyle Dugger robs Bengals touchdown with forced fumble

This was an incredible heads-up play by Kyle Dugger

It has been clear from the very beginning that defense was going to be the calling card for the New England Patriots this season. The unit proved that to be true on Sunday, as Kyle Dugger made a solid play to halt a potential touchdown drive by the Cincinnati Bengals.

The Bengals were driving towards the end zone and looked to be on the verge of scoring their first touchdown of the game. However, Dugger ripped the football out of the hands of tight end Tanner Hudson, and it was recovered by Marcus Jones.

The offensive drive following the fumble ended in a field goal by Joey Syle. It extended New England’s lead to 10-0 and gave the team momentum heading into halftime.

https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1832842096556011527/

The first half of the game looked promising for the Patriots in what many have viewed as a rebuilding year for the team. It was particularly impressive considering the Bengals are a team many view as a likely playoff contender.

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Patriots safety cracks top 10 in ESPN’s latest rankings

One Patriots safety landed in the top 10, and another got a mention in ESPN’s latest rankings

New England Patriots safety Kyle Dugger ranked eighth on ESPN’s top-10 safeties list. Jabrill Peppers also received votes.

The list was compiled by ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, who gathered votes from NFL executives, coaches and scouts.

This is certainly a worthy honor for both parties. Dugger recorded 109 tackles last season, a sack-and-a-half, two interceptions and a forced fumble. He recently signed an extension with the Patriots in the offseason.

Peppers also had a solid year in his own right. He recorded 78 tackles, a sack and two interceptions last season.

Those two safeties should be anchors on a New England defense that is loaded with talent.  Both elevated their game last season and became one of the best safety duos in the NFL.

Fowler wrote:

In the mold of (Kyle) Hamilton, Dugger is best when close to the line of scrimmage but can play — and punish — in the open field, too.

He’s grabbed nine interceptions over the past three seasons, including two for touchdowns, and he finished last season with a career-high 107 tackles.

“He’s always been physical and a smart football player, but he’s become more of a complete player every year,” an NFL personnel executive said. “He will physically strike you.”

The fact that Peppers received votes was a positive sign as well. He was one of the more underrated signings of the Bill Belichick era and ended up fitting into the defense perfectly.

Time will tell how Dugger and Peppers follow up on their strong 2023 campaign. The 2024 season is right around the corner, and the defense will once again be looked at to carry the brunt of the load.

Patriots fans will love Kyle Dugger’s reported training camp preparation

How Kyle Dugger is reportedly preparing for training camp

New England Patriots safety Kyle Dugger has reportedly stayed in the area to continue working out at Gillette Stadium ahead of training camp, according to ESPN’s Mike Reiss.

Dugger agreed to a four-year, $58 million contract extension in April, in one of the Patriots’ major offseason moves. The organization locked up several in-house players, including Dugger, Christian Barmore, Hunter Henry, Kendrick Bourne, Anfernee Jennings and Rhamondre Stevenson,

The safety looks to build off of a successful 2023 season that saw him record 71 tackles, seven pass deflections, two forced fumbles and an interception.

He established himself as one of the best safeties in the NFL by becoming one of the few bright spots for the struggling Patriots.

Reiss wrote:

Most Patriots players leave the area in the weeks before training camp, often returning to their hometowns, but safety Kyle Dugger hasn’t been among the group. Dugger has continued to show up at Gillette Stadium. The Patriots would naturally like to see the 2020 second-round pick elevate to more of a leadership role after signing him to a four-year, $58 million extension this offseason.

Dugger is going to be a major piece for the New England defense moving forward. The fact that he has stayed local is certainly a positive sign regarding his willingness to take on an even bigger role for the team.

Kyle Dugger details initial reaction to contract extension with Patriots

Kyle Dugger details how he received the news of his contract extension

New England Patriots safety Kyle Dugger was agitated initially, before receiving his offer for a contract extension with the organization.

Things ended up working out for the safety, as he signed a four-year, $58 million deal, with $32 million in guaranteed money to stay in New England. Dugger is coming off a solid 2023 season that saw him record 71 tackles and two interceptions on the year.

The way Dugger got the news of his extension left him a bit agitated, prior to finding out why the phone call came his way. The safety was hard at work training for the upcoming season when he received the phone call, as transcribed by NESN.com’s Adam London.

“I was just like, ‘What do you want?’ A little agitated,” Dugger said, per the Boston Herald. “But once the news was told to me, I was obviously excited. I went right back to work.”

All things considered, the Patriots and Dugger are probably relieved that he picked up the phone. He will be a key piece of a Patriots defense that looks to have another solid season in 2024.

Instant analysis of Patriots re-signing S Kyle Dugger to four-year deal

The Patriots had one of the top defensive units in 2023, and Kyle Dugger re-signing ensures that group remains mostly intact.

Kyle Dugger’s contract situation hanging in limbo came to an end on Sunday with the starting safety agreeing to a massive four-year extension with the New England Patriots.

The deal has a base value of $58 million and can go up to $66 million. It contains $32.5 million in guarantees, which is the fifth-most guaranteed money for an NFL safety, per Over The Cap.

At $14.5 million annually, Dugger got a slight bump from the $13.8 million on his transition tag.

The move makes it a near clean sweep for the Patriots in retaining their in-house free agents. It’s also a solid deal for a player like Dugger, who has yet to make an All-Pro or Pro Bowl team in his career.

Make no mistake, he has been tremendously impactful in his role in the Patriots’ defensive backfield, but he has yet to break into that top-tier safety group in the NFL.

Of course, that hardly matters for what he’s meant to New England.

Dugger has stepped up as a leader for the team since Devin McCourty retired last year. The last thing the team wanted was losing McCourty and Dugger in back-to-back years. Dugger’s return should ensure the Patriots remain one of the top defensive units in the league in 2024.

Of course, it can’t answer for the many questions still remaining on the offensive side of the ball. The Patriots are still unsettled at quarterback, the offensive line is a disaster waiting to happen and the wide receiver position still lacks a true No. 1 target.

A better perspective would be considering Dugger’s long-term security clearing the road to a more offensive-focused draft for New England. There is no longer a need to focus on safety with considerations of how Dugger’s contract situation would unfold.

De facto general manager Eliot Wolf can now check that off the list and focus on bigger issues at hand.

Report: Patriots, S Kyle Dugger agree to massive four-year extension

Kyle Dugger gets a massive contract extension to stay in New England

The transition tag and safety Kyle Dugger are no more.

On Sunday, the New England Patriots and the burgeoning star safety agreed to a four year, $58 million extension. Per the Boston Herald’s Andrew Callahan, the contract is worth upwards of $66 million with $32.5 million guaranteed.

Dugger being signed makes it a near complete sweep for the Patriots in retaining their 2024 in-house free agents. It also keeps their defensive backfield intact for the foreseeable future.

The transition tag would have allowed another team to negotiate a contract with Dugger, but the Patriots would have had an opportunity to match whatever offer came his way. But it never got to that point between the two sides with New England determined to keep their core defensive unit together.

Now that they’ve managed to do so, the unit built by former coach Bill Belichick should remain as competitive as ever.

Patriots safety Kyle Dugger reportedly unhappy with transition tag designation

Kyle Dugger reportedly remains unhappy with his transition tag designation.

New England Patriots safety Kyle Dugger is unhappy with his transition tag designation to the point where he still has not signed, according to a report from the Boston Herald’s Andrew Callahan.

The tag allows Dugger to test the open market, and it also gives the Patriots a chance to match any incoming offers for the veteran defensive back.

He is coming off his best year with the Patriots in 2023, recording 109 tackles, 1.5 sacks and two interceptions. He has turned into one of the most productive safeties in the NFL and a cornerstone for the Patriots defense.

Callahan elaborated a bit more on Dugger’s dissatisfaction on Sunday, as transcribed by NESN.com’s Greg Dudek.

“Dugger remains dissatisfied with the transition tag, a one-year, $13.2 million placeholder that will keep him here in New England. As of late this week, he had not signed the tag.”

This development could be worrisome for the Patriots, as Dugger has been one of the team’s most dependable players. It could also cast some doubt on his future in New England, especially if the two sides aren’t able to agree on a deal.

Here’s what Jerod Mayo said on Patriots using transition tag on S Kyle Dugger

Jerod Mayo explained why the Patriots used the transition tag on Kyle Dugger

Before the franchise tag deadline, the New England Patriots delivered a mild surprise by utilizing a $13.8 million transition tag on safety Kyle Dugger.

Per ESPN Stats & Info, via Mike Reiss, the transition tag has only been used six times over the last 15 years. So these were clearly unique circumstances for the Patriots to go to such measures in an effort to keep Dugger in the defensive backfield.

With the move, New England earned the right to match any offer Dugger receives from another team. Patriots coach Jerod Mayo commented on the matter on Tuesday.

“Kyle is a talented player with a strong work ethic who has improved every year and been extremely productive since joining our team in 2020,” said Mayo, via Patriots.com. “We value players with high character and chose to use the transition designation to give both sides more time to try to reach a long-term agreement, which is our goal with Kyle.”

An argument could be made that free agent offensive lineman Mike Onwenu should have been a higher priority for the Patriots. Maybe that’s still the case, and the team didn’t think tagging him was necessary.

Dugger is a solid player in the defensive backfield, and the unit is clearly better with him back there. Defense was the calling card for the Patriots throughout the 2023 season, and it appears like that’ll remain the case in 2024 as well.

However, the offense remains a serious issue, and now, there are bigger questions than ever before with both starting tackles, Onwenu and Trent Brown, becoming free agents.

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