Patriots’ Offseason Objective Further Solidified By Reported Kyle Dugger Deal

The new regime of the New England Patriots set out with the offseason goal to retain their own cornerstone players and culture-builders after years of watching hometown talents sign second contracts elsewhere.

“You definitely want those pieces to stay,” Mayo told reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine in reference to Mike Onwenu and Kyle Dugger, specifically. “Going back to what I talked about earlier, you develop through the draft. So, if those guys stay, they’ve been raised here and they can help push the culture forward.”

The Patriots further solidified that movement Sunday morning with the reported deal for Kyle Dugger.

Dugger received a four-year deal worth $58 million with a maximum value of $66 million, including $32.5 million guaranteed, per NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport. The $14.5 million average annual value means Dugger becomes the sixth-highest paid safety behind Jessie Bates III ($16 million AAV) and Budda Baker ($14.1 million AAV).

The 28-year-old was set to enter the 2024 campaign on a one-year, $13.8 million deal after the Patriots placed the rarely used transition tag on him in early March. At the time, Mayo said it was a way to give the two parties more time to negotiate. It played out that way.

Might it be a bit of an overpay for Dugger? The argument could be made. But that doesn’t mean it’s not a good deal for both sides.

The versatile Dugger, who excels in the run game and is above average in the pass game, could serve as a key chess piece for DeMarcus Covington’s group, especially if he lines up near the line of scrimmage more in 2024 than he did in 2023. Dugger, an older player when he was drafted, still has his prime ahead of him.

And for the new regime, they can point to Dugger as a prime example of their draft and development method. It’s a good sign for others. The Patriots kept their two most important internal free agents with Onwenu, who agreed a three-year, $57 million deal during the legal tampering period, and Dugger. They took a step toward building the culture by doing so, in addition to the handful of players they retained including Hunter Henry, Kendrick Bourne, Anfernee Jennings and Josh Uche.

New England’s 2020 NFL Draft class now becomes the first since 2010 to have its top two picks re-sign or receive an extension in New England (Dugger, Uche), per the Boston Herald’s Andrew Callahan. Dugger, a 2020 second-rounder, is the first top Patriots draft pick (first player selected, not first-rounder) to get a second contract in New England since 2011 first-rounder Nate Solder, per 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Alex Barth. In total, four of the Patriots’ top seven 2020 draftees are returning to New England on a second contract.

The Patriots enter the upcoming NFL draft with plenty of holes to fill. But with the 2020 class largely intact, along with other established veterans remaining in Foxboro, Mass., New England clearly is hoping it can re-establish a culture that expedites a rebuild.