EAGEN, Minn. — The Patriots may have a tough choice to make about security Kyle Dugger in lower than two weeks once they trim their roster down to 53 gamers.
Dugger, a defensive starter for the Patriots since he was chosen within the second spherical of the 2020 NFL Draft, has been demoted to the second-unit protection in latest practices.
That was the case as soon as once more on Wednesday in a joint follow with the Vikings. It was Jabrill Peppers, Jaylinn Hawkins and rookie Craig Woodson taking first-team reps, whereas Dugger was relegated to backup duties with Marcus Epps.
Head coach Mike Vrabel was requested Wednesday what Dugger, who signed a four-year, $58 million contract with $32.5 million in ensures, may do to work again into the first-team protection.
“I feel simply ensuring that he’s the place he must be and understanding the protection ideas and every thing we do,” Vrabel stated. “Hold working and hold progressing. Quite a lot of that is the fellows which have earned a proper to have a look with that first unit, and once more, there’ll be totally different lineups and various things, so simply give attention to the reps that you simply get.
“Proper now, his angle’s been nice, and he’s had an extended restoration within the offseason. He’s been on the market, and he’s continued to get higher and work, and I feel the extra that he practices, the higher he’s going to really feel and the extra that it’s going to translate onto the soccer discipline.”
Dugger struggled final season whereas making an attempt to play by way of a high ankle sprain. He missed spring practices however started the summer time on the first-team protection. Over the past week, it’s change into clear that Hawkins has, at the least for now, taken over his position at security.
“I feel he’s finished a pleasant job of coming in, speaking and taking part in just about all of the totally different strategies that we’ve requested these guys to do on the again finish,” Vrabel stated of Hawkins. “I feel he’s taking part in with some velocity and performs with some physicality. You noticed a pair passes out to the perimeter that he was on and tight protection within the sport.
“I simply actually evaluated him and determined to get him again from final yr. He did a pleasant job and performed all particular groups, performed plenty of protection when guys went down. So, he’s persevering with to make the most of his alternatives, after which we’ll see the place that goes.”
Hawkins was one of many few Patriots free brokers introduced again by Vrabel’s regime. This summer time, when the Patriots held an intra-squad scrimmage, Hawkins was among the many Patriots’ captains.
Dugger, in the meantime, has the third-highest base wage ($9.75 million) on the Patriots this season. He could make an extra $1 million in per-game roster bonuses. So, if he’s saved, the workforce can be paying him over $10 million to be a backup.
There aren’t any good avenues to take with Dugger’s future, nevertheless. Slicing Dugger, whose wage is assured this season, would end in $14.25 million in useless cash and simply over $1 million in cap financial savings. Buying and selling Dugger would unencumber over $10 million in cap house, however it will be extraordinarily tough to discover a commerce accomplice keen to tackle a $9.75 million wage for a 29-year-old participant coming back from harm.
The Patriots do have practically $60 million in cap house, so if any workforce is provided to chop a participant and tackle an enormous quantity of useless cash, it’s them.
