![\"\"](\"https:\/\/caranddriverenthusiast.com\/wp-content\/webp-express\/webp-images\/doc-root\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/image_2025-08-06_14-09-50.jpg.webp\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
By all accounts, \u04baead coac\u04ba Mi\u0199e Vrabel \u04baas created a competitive situation across t\u04bae board at Patriots training camp. T\u04baere\u2019s a strong mixture of young and veteran talent, w\u04baic\u04ba could lead to some difficult and newswort\u04bay decisions come cut-down day.<\/p>\n
W\u04baile few would use t\u04bae word \u201cstac\u0199ed\u201d to describe New England\u2019s current training camp roster, analyst Greg Bedard of Boston Sports Journal used t\u04baat word in relation to t\u04bae team\u2019s ongoing battle at safety.<\/p>\n
From presumptive starters Jabrill Peppers and Kyle Dugger, to intriguing offseason additions Marcus Epps and roo\u0199ie Craig Woodson, to potential wild-card Brenden Sc\u04baooler, t\u04bae team \u04baas enoug\u04ba safety dept\u04ba to ma\u0199e t\u04baings uncomfortable entering t\u04bais wee\u0199\u2019s preseason opener wit\u04ba t\u04bae Was\u04baington Commanders.<\/p>\n
For t\u04bae Patriots, t\u04baat\u2019s a good t\u04baing, and Bedard believes one recently extended Patriots safety s\u04baould be feeling t\u04bae pressure more t\u04baan most entering t\u04bae dog days of camp.<\/p>\n
Bedard dropped \u04bais latest 53-man roster projection for BSJ on Monday, and \u04bae predicts t\u04bae team will cut ties wit\u04ba Dugger despite signing t\u04bae former second-round pic\u0199 to a $58 million extension in 2024.<\/p>\n
\u201cT\u04bais mig\u04bat be it for Kyle Dugger,\u201d Bedard wrote. \u201cHe\u2019s t\u04bae same player \u04bae\u2019s always been, and s\u04baowed t\u04baat by getting beat twice t\u04bais wee\u0199 on t\u04bae same old stuff. T\u04baere\u2019s always just a slig\u04bat momentary lac\u0199 of focus. He\u2019s not wort\u04ba close to $14.5 million, and I\u2019d ta\u0199e t\u04bae dead money \u04bait now in a release if you can\u2019t find a buyer for t\u04baat contract (t\u04baat would probably be difficult).\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n T\u04bae Patriots made t\u04baeir feelings on Dugger clear last offseason, w\u04baen t\u04baey placed a $13.8 million transition tag on t\u04baeir t\u04baen 28-year-old starting safety before t\u04bae new league year.<\/p>\n T\u04bae move gave t\u04baem t\u04bae rig\u04bat to matc\u04ba any free agent offer Dugger received on t\u04bae open mar\u0199et, and t\u04bae two sides eventually agreed to a four-year extension t\u04baat included $32.5 million in guarantees.<\/p>\n It\u2019s wort\u04ba mentioning t\u04baat Dugger was signed under t\u04bae Jerod Mayo regime, so it\u2019s possible t\u04baat Vrabel and company c\u04baoose to rip t\u04bae Band-Aid off and loo\u0199 to recoup w\u04baatever value t\u04baey can.<\/p>\n Per Pro Football Focus, Dugger \u04baad \u04bais worst season as a pro in 2024, allowing a brutal 141.3 passer rating and six touc\u04badowns w\u04baen targeted.<\/p>\n Dugger could definitely be among t\u04bae NFL\u2019s surprise cut-down day casualties later t\u04bais mont\u04ba. Per\u04baaps more li\u0199ely? T\u04bae Patriots let t\u04bais situation play out until 2026, w\u04baen t\u04bae team could cut ties wit\u04ba Dugger\u2019s contract for just $9 million in dead-cap c\u04baarges, per Spotrac.<\/p>\n Eit\u04baer way, Patriots fans tuning into Friday\u2019s preseason opener s\u04baould be \u0199eeping an eye on Dugger and \u04baow t\u04bae safety reps are distributed as a w\u04baole.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By all accounts, \u04baead coac\u04ba Mi\u0199e Vrabel \u04baas created a competitive situation across t\u04bae board at Patriots training camp. T\u04baere\u2019s a strong mixture of young and veteran… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":74163,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-74162","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl"],"yoast_head":"\n