For much of the offseason, the focus within the Patriots has been on the offense, mostly due to the rise of Drake Maye and his expected second-year jump now that Mike Vrabel is the head coach and Josh McDaniels is calling the offense. With the upgrades they have made to the tema, it makes sense that the offense would be so highlighted.
However, significant changes are coming in the defense, with the most shocking being the apparent demotion of safety Kyle Dugger. The veteran has been a starter in New England since he was drafted in 2020 and has risen to the occasion in the years since.
He even earned a contract extension before the 2024 season and earned captain status because of it. Unfortunately, last year is one that he (and Patriots fans) would rather forget, which puts him in the hot seat in the weeks leading to Week 1, especially since he is now running with the second-team defense.
Although a misdiagnosed injury appears to be the explanation for his declining performance last year, Dugger hasn't looked much better on the practice field this summer. That puts a lot of pressure on him to perform against the Vikings on Saturday afternoon, and it could determine his Patriots' future.
Mike Vrabel doesn't hide the fact that Kyle Dugger has a ways to go before being a Patriots starter again
Since Dugger's demotion has been apparent but not officially confirmed, reporters inquired about the safety's future. Mike Vrabel made it clear that the safety needs to continue working to regain his position, which was even more apparent when Jabrill Peppers left practice early and Dugger wasn't given the chance to step in for him.
"Safety Jabrill Peppers left practice early and did not participate in team drills. Even in his absence, Kyle Dugger remained out of the primary safety rotation with Dell Pettus instead joining Jaylinn Hawkins and Craig Woodson. Asked about potentially moving Dugger to linebacker, coach Mike Vrabel said, ‘We would consider anything to try to help the football team and help the player. That’s everything we want to try to do.'”
Knowing that a new coaching staff would be coming into Foxboro, it was well known that the entire roster was not safe, and they proved that with the number of longtime starters and captains that they released or didn't re-sign, including David Andrews, Joe Cardona, and Jonathan Jones.
That might become the fate of Dugger, unless he can prove he can return to the form that earned a new contract last year. That might not be easy to do, with only two preseason games remaining and a solid safety roster behind him.
But that might be the only way that he remains on the team for the 2025 season. Dugger has already been named a potential tradeable player, and since the new regime wants to add more draft picks and even young players, it wouldn't be surprising if they resort to that route if he fails to impress them over the next few weeks.