Bill Belichick ‘Absolutely’ Wants This Patriots Trade Candidate To Stay

Bill Belichick wouldn’t say much Monday about how the 2-6 Patriots plan to approach Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline. But the head coach did say he’d like one of New England’s more prominent trade candidates to stick around.

Asked on WEEI’s “The Greg Hill Show” whether he wants safety Kyle Dugger to remain with the Patriots for “a long time,” Belichick replied: “Yeah, of course. Sure. Absolutely.”

Dugger is a talented player on an expiring rookie contract, making him an intriguing potential target for a contending team. The 27-year-old also is coming off arguably his best game of the season, grabbing an interception to go along with nine tackles, one tackle for loss and one quarterback hit in Sunday’s 31-17 road loss to the Miami Dolphins.

Dugger also took over defensive signal-calling duties after linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley left the game with a hamstring injury. He’s been on the field for a team-high 96.7% of New England’s defensive snaps through eight games.

“Kyle had some explosive plays in the game,” Belichick said on WEEI. “Tackles for loss, interception, a good run after the interception. Played well in the kicking game. It was a solid effort.”

Belichick declined to say whether the Patriots and Dugger, their top pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, had made any progress on a contract extension. The Lenoir-Rhyne product is set to become a free agent for the first time in March, as are fellow 2020 draftees Josh Uche, Mike Onwenu and Anfernee Jennings.

Uche and Onwenu also have been rumored as possible trade chips, with the former specifically mentioned as a player who’s garnered interest from other clubs. Other players the out-of-contention Patriots could look to move include wide receiver Kendrick Bourne, tight ends Mike Gesicki and Hunter Henry, offensive tackle Trent Brown, running back Ezekiel Elliott, and safeties Jalen Mills and Adrian Phillips.

It’s unclear how Belichick plans to handle deadline day, but the Patriots have every reason to sell off pieces and begin retooling their roster for 2024.