Patriots News: Kyle Dugger called out, Jon Gruden on Drake Maye, Tee Higgins update

Catching up with the latest news surrounding the New England Patriots as they prepare for their Week 13 matchup with their longtime rival, the Indianapolis Colts.

Ted Johnson calls out Kyle Dugger after struggle-filled performance in Week 12

It's no secret that the Patriots' secondary hasn't been performing up to standard this season outside of cornerback Christian Gonzalez. From missed tackles and blown assignments to injuries and lousy game planning, the typically dominant group has struggled for most of the 2024 season so far.

Perhaps one of the more shocking developments has been the inconsistency from safety Kyle Dugger, who has earned a reputation for being one of the best at the position in the league. His struggles stood out upon his return from injury this past week, prompting former Patriots linebacker turned media pundit Ted Johnson to call out Dugger on Twitter/X mid-game.

This seemed like a pretty tame assesment given how harsh criticism surrounding a football player can be, even more so regarding the Patriots this year. But Johnson followed it up with a brutal suggestion for Dugger, stating if he were the safety, he would, "call in sick for work tomorrow."

Considering how good he has been since the Patriots drafted him in 2020, which explains why he earned a new contract this past offseason, it's fair to assume his nagging ankle injury is responsible for his declining performance this season. Hopefully, that's all it is and nothing more because he's become too important for the team's secondary over the past four seasons.

Jon Gruden makes a strong prediction about the future of Drake Maye with the Patriots

It didn't take long for the pre-draft projections regarding Drake Maye's future in the NFL to be put to bed once the Patriots made him their starting quarterback. Although many analysts and experts believed he was more of a "project" coming out of college and believed his age would play a negative factor in his development, he has proven to be the real deal in just six games this season.

It has put him into the Rookie of the Year conversation despite not starting the season as New England's quarterback, and his performances continue to impress some very respected people in the NFL sphere, the latest of which is former head coach and broadcaster Jon Gruden.

He spoke about Maye during a recent conversation as a part of Barstool Sports, declaring the rookie quarterback is "going to be a super star," much to the delight of Patriots fans everywhere.

Gruden might be a controversial figure and not the most liked, but he's certainly respected for his NFL knowledge and accomplishments, making his assessment of Maye hold more weight.

It's exciting to hear such praise from someone who has been around some of the best football players the game has seen, and it's clear Maye is continuing to impress some high-profile figures in and around the league, making his pick even better for the future of the New England Patriots.

Patriots coach believes they have their own Travis Hunter on the roster already

Because the Patriots are in the midst of another losing season, many analysts and fans are already looking ahead to the 2025 NFL Draft, even more so since it looks like they'll have another top-5 pick at this point.

That has made the Patriots a favorite to land some of the best wide receivers of the incoming class, one of whom is Colorado's dual-threat receiver/cornerback combo Travis Hunter. He is already being projected as the first overall selection, and he would be an incredible get for the Patriots if they could somehow pick him.

However, defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington believes they already have a Hunter-like player on the roster in cornerback Marcus Jones. “People talk about Travis Hunter, that’s Marcus (Jones),” Covington said. “That’s Marcus. He did that in college too.”

Because Jones can be a force in all three phases of the game and has already proven that since joining the NFL, it's certainly possible the Patriots could pass on a guy like Hunter. However, his skillset seems a bit deeper, given that he is on the field for every snap on offense and defense, making his stat line even more impressive.

Maybe if Jones had more of an opportunity to do that, he could. But it's also possible he wouldn't have the chance based on NFL rules. Regardless, it would be pretty impressive if the Patriots really did have their own version of the rising Colorado star.

Tee Higgins is once again favored to land with the Patriots next offseason

On top of looking forward to next year's draft, there is also excitement surrounding the upcoming free agent class. The most desirable of all continues to be wide receivers, especially current Bengals player Tee Higgins.

He has been connected to the Patriots for the last two years, as he was being baited as a trade candidate and then was supposed to head to free agency earlier this year. But Cincinnati franchise tagged him instead for the 2024 season, and NFL insider Jeremy Fowler says the Bengals are not expected to do that again next year.

According to Fowler, that means the Patriots are expected to target Higgins and heavily pursue him, which works well for them with the amount of cap space they are expected to have. They could easily entice him to come to New England and work with Drake Maye, immediately becoming their WR1, something he has wanted since the Bengals drafted him.

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