Changes to the lineup are inevitable when a team makes a coaching change and one of the potential tweaks in New England involves safety Kyle Dugger.
Dugger was a starter for most of his first five seasons with the Patriots and he’s still listed as a starter on their depth chart, but the unofficial nature of that chart has been made clear by the team’s look in practice. Jabrill Peppers, Jaylinn Hawkins, and Craig Woodson have been the top safeties in recent practices for New England while Dugger works with the second team.
On Wednesday, head coach Mike Vrabel noted that Dugger had offseason ankle surgery and that other players have made a strong case for first-team time while discussing what Dugger has to do in order to climb back up the ladder.
“I think just making sure that he’s where he needs to be and understanding the coverage concepts and everything we do,” Vrabel said. “Keep working and keep progressing. A lot of this is the guys that have earned a right to take a look with that first unit, and again, there’ll be different lineups and different things, so just focus on the reps that you get. Right now, his attitude’s been great, and he’s had a long recovery in the offseason. He’s been out there, and he’s continued to get better and work, and I think the more that he practices, the better he’s going to feel and the more that it’s going to translate onto the football field.”
If Dugger is not able to reclaim his old spot, the Patriots could look to move him to a team that would offer him a starting role as they put together their roster for Vrabel’s first year running the show in New England.
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