The New England Patriots have used the last couple of months to evaluate their roster ahead of the 2025 season. Head coach Mike Vrabel came in and brought an entirely new staff to turn things around in Foxborough.
With that being said, everyone is fighting for their spot on the roster, but not everyone will be one of the 22 starters on offense or defense. Not even a defender who inked a $58 million extension last offseason.
A name to watch: #Patriots S Kyle Dugger has been playing late into preseason games and working with the second-team in practice under the new staff.
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) August 18, 2025
Dugger signed a 4-year, $58M deal just last year — and now could possibly be a trade candidate. pic.twitter.com/GIAViObmUq
Kyle Dugger Sliding Down Patriots Depth Chart
Ari Meirov of The33rdTeamFB pointed out that safety Kyle Dugger has been playing in the first two preseason games and is lining up with the second team in practice.
Throughout training camp, Jaylinn Hawkins, Marcus Epps, and rookie Craig Woodson have been seeing more of the first-team reps due to Dugger struggling in coverage.
While he did undergo ankle surgery in the offseason and looks to get back up to speed, things haven't looked the best in practice. In the preseason contest against the Vikings, he played in 45 total snaps but finished with a 58.9 overall grade and a 56.5 coverage grade per Pro Football Focus.
Even though he got paid last offseason, it's a new coaching staff in the building, and everyone has to prove themselves again. It doesn't matter how much money you make, Vrabel and his staff are going to play the best player at every position.
When speaking about what Dugger needs to do in order to regain his starting spot, Vrabel said, "Just making sure that he's where he needs to be and understanding the coverage concepts and everything we do. Keep working and keep progressing."
Ever since being the 37th overall pick back in 2020, Dugger has appeared in 74 games, and he started in 65 of them. In those outings, he posted 424 total tackles, 25 TFLs, 24 pass deflections, and nine interceptions.
Regardless, Vrabel has made it clear that he doesn't care what happened before he was here. There's a new sheriff in town, and things will go down differently in New England.
Dugger still has time to change course and regain his starting spot. If that doesn't happen, though, he will be someone who's on the trade block for the Pats. It's a daily process for Dugger, but if he doesn't turn things up, he will be on the bench in New England or dished out elsewhere.