Grab or Gamble: Should Patriots Sign Kyle Dugger to Contract Extension?

If the New England Patriots allow Kyle Dugger to hit free agency after the 2023 season, he'll be one of the most coveted safeties on the market.

By analytics, Kyle Dugger may not be one of the best 10 safeties in the NFL. But by common sense, he's one of the best - yet underrated - playmakers on the New England Patriots.

And, one way or another, he's trending toward a huge payday.

Dugger, 27, was one of the catalysts on a Patriots' defense that last season was Top 10 overall and No. 1 in the league with seven touchdowns. If he duplicates his performance, he'll get lucrative contract offers next March when he hits the open market as a free agent.

If, that is, the Patriots don't ink him to a long-term extension before then.

“That’s not on my mind,” Dugger said after a recent OTA practice at Gillette Stadium. “That’s the business part. I kind of … I’m on the field, I’m trying to handle business on the field and let that be that. But I definitely enjoy playing for this organization.”

With a dodgy offense and clearly the least amount of talent in the AFC East, the Patriots need all the help they can get by focusing on the here and now. But Dugger isn’t the only prominent member of New England’s 2020 draft class that could have money on his mind.

Edge rusher Josh Uche and guard Mike Onwenu are also both scheduled to hit free agency after the 2023 season. Dugger, who forced four turnovers, scored two touchdowns and racked up 78 tackles last season, might come away with the largest contract of the three.

Bleacher Report, in fact, predicts that Dugger would be highly coveted if New England allows him to hit free agency.

"With Dugger entering the final year of his rookie contract, the Patriots would be wise to extend him early," Bleacher Report writes. "Should the 27-year-old hit the open market in 2024, he'll almost certainly be one of the most in-demand safeties in a class that could also include C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Chuck Clark."

---

Follow Richie Whitt on Twitter

Follow Patriots Country on Twitter and Facebook

Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Patriots? Click Here

More Patriots coverage from Sports Illustrated here.