What Kyle Dugger, Anfernee Jennings said of staying with Patriots

FOXBOROUGH — It hasn’t been a straightforward summer season for Kyle Dugger and Anfernee Jennings. 

Regardless of each gamers’ standing as established veterans within the Patriots’ locker room, each discovered themselves caught on the roster bubble getting into cutdown day on Tuesday. 

Trade rumors swirled around both Dugger and Jennings over the previous few weeks as each gamers slid down the depth chart — with every participant logging snaps properly into the fourth quarter throughout preseason motion. 

However by the point Tuesday’s 4 p.m. deadline for roster cuts had arrived, each Dugger and Jennings remained on New England’s 53-man squad forward of the 2025 marketing campaign. 

Even along with his unsteady standing on New England’s roster, Dugger acknowledged on Wednesday that he wasn’t fretting about his future in New England because the roster cuts began to get introduced the earlier morning. 

“If something, you recognize, I used to be fairly impartial on it. I knew something might occur, in order that’s how I type of the place I stayed,” Dugger stated. “I spent a whole lot of time with my household, and that was very grounding and humbling, in order that’s type of what I did. I actually wasn’t eager about it an excessive amount of.

“I’m getting higher day-after-day. That’s my focus. Serving to the group as a lot as I can. And being the perfect model of myself as a person, as a frontrunner, and for the fellows round me.”

Despite the fact that Dugger was not dealt on Tuesday, which may have been extra a results of his contract — as the protection nonetheless has three years remaining on the four-year, $58 million extension he signed with the Patriots. 

Per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Patriots did subject “a number of commerce affords” for Dugger, however “his $9.75M assured wage – and the way a lot of it New England would take up – was a hurdle” in these commerce discussions.

For now, Dugger is staying targeted on the duty in entrance of him as he tries to re-establish himself as one of many high safeties on New England’s roster. 

“It’s serving to the group as a lot as I can,” Dugger stated, including: “And being the perfect model of myself as a person and a frontrunner and for the fellows round me.”

Talking forward of observe, Mike Vrabel mapped out why the Patriots opted to maintain each Dugger and Jennings on the roster. 

“I feel he’s feeling higher and I believed he had some actually good snaps towards New York,” Vrabel stated of Dugger, who recorded an interception and posted two move breakups towards New York final week. “I feel he can assist us, and clearly, discover a function. We speak to him about that, have talked to him about that. We’ll proceed to speak to him about that and supply worth to the soccer group.”

“The place we have been as of now, I believed he, by way of his observe, by way of his efficiency within the video games and the way in which that he competed, has earned the best to be right here,” Vrabel added of Jennings. “He’ll should proceed to do this similar to all people else will.”

Jennings — who recorded three sacks throughout New England’s preseason win over Minnesota — might nonetheless provide loads of worth on the sector as a strong pass-rusher. 

However the 28-year-old veteran has had some rising pains this summer season adjusting to New England’s revamped defensive scheme instilled by Vrabel and new defensive coordinator Terrell Williams. 

“I discovered rather a lot. This has most likely been considered one of my tougher – not tough, however I had a big-time adjustment,” Jennings stated Wednesday. “I’ve been in the same protection since faculty – a 3-4 exterior linebacker. Having to be taught a brand new scheme, studying coaches, gamers, and the best way to do my job in another way, it’s been humbling for me simply to have the ability to try this. I’m trying ahead to the season.”

Regardless of almost dropping out on a roster spot, Jennings expressed gratitude for sticking round in Foxborough. 

“It means rather a lot,” Jennings stated. “On the finish of the day, at coronary heart, I’m a Patriot. I really like being out right here. I really like enjoying. I’m trying ahead to the season.”

 

Conor Ryan is a employees author masking the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Pink Sox for Boston.com, a task he has held since 2023.