Patriots Called Out for Questionable Signing

The New England Patriots are being called out for a rather questionable move they made last NFL offseason.

Jan 1, 2023; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots safety Kyle Dugger (23) runs for a touchdown after intercepting the ball during the second half of agame against the Miami Dolphins at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images / Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

The New England Patriots made their fair share of questionable moves last offseason, but one decision that actually looked pretty sound at the time was their re-signing of safety Kyle Dugger.

The Patriots inked Dugger to a four-year, $58 million deal as a reward for his contributions over his first four years with the club, but needless to say, it has not gone according to plan.

Dugger has struggled so much, as a matter of fact, that Sean T. McGuire of NESN has listed his contract among a list of decisions that may be giving New England buyer's remorse.

"Dugger suffered an ankle injury in Week 4 and has been limited physically due to the ailment. At this point, though, he might be doing more harm than good," McGuire wrote. "Dugger’s ability to diagnose what offenses are throwing at the Patriots, along with his communication, have been even more concerning. The 28-year-old safety is graded New England’s 28th defender, per Pro Football Focus, certainly not production worthy of the sixth-highest AAV in the league."

Dugger specifically had a horrendous showing against the Miami Dolphins last week, but defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington came to his defense and said that he absolutely has confidence in the fifth-year defensive back moving forward.

In eight games this season, Dugger has registered 44 tackles, a sack and a forced fumble.

The 28-year-old, who played his collegiate football at Lenoir-Rhyne, was selected by the Pats in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft.

It didn't take long for Dugger to establish himself as a critical piece of the Patriots' defense, and last year, he racked up 109 tackles, 1.5 sacks, a couple of interceptions, a forced fumble and seven passes defended.

But he certainly hasn't lived up to his new deal so far. That's for sure.

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