Welcome to 10 Patriots training camp questions!
Leading up to the start of camp, the Herald will explore one of the biggest questions facing the Pats this summer. Several pertain to the offense, which held the team back in 2019 and will feature a new quarterback this season. Others cover the defense and special teams, units whose success should hinge on the play of a few players and/or positions.
Once the Patriots hit the field, here’s what they must learn before the 2020 season kicks off.
How much will Kyle Dugger play this season?
After all the offseason change that swept through Foxboro, it’s easy to forget that Bill Belichick kicked off one of the most pivotal drafts of his Patriots tenure by picking a Division II prospect who plays a position that was far from a need.
Kyle Dugger, come on down.
Last listed at 6-2 and 220 pounds, Dugger can be expected to make an instant impact on the Pats’ special teams. He’ll cover kicks and compete for the punt return job. The coaching staff has already told him so.
Defensively, it’s a mystery. The elimination of on-field team activities this offseason no doubt hurt Dugger more than most, given his lack of familiarity with the Patriots’ system and complete inexperience at the pro level. It won’t preclude Dugger from making an impact — considering how several rookies still thrived in 2011 after a full offseason lockout — but it does raise the level of uncertainty.
Dugger’s odds of taking serious defensive snaps were already suppressed compared to most top picks because of starters Devin McCourty and Patrick Chung, plus Adrian Phillips, the team’s top free-agent addition. Considering Terrence Brooks set multiple highs last year during the most extensive defensive action of his career, he could also block Dugger’s path to playing time.
All that said, Dugger can make a strong case this summer based on one skill: his ability to play deep safety in single-high coverages. McCourty has been a staple in the deepest part of the Pats’ secondary for years, patrolling 12 to 15 yards off the line of scrimmage to discourage deep passes. He’ll also engage in double teams, blitz occasionally and cover tight ends, but McCourty’s greatest, most consistent value is playing a Pro Bowl-level center field.
No team played more man-to-man coverage the past two seasons than the Patriots, most of which was backed by McCourty in deep zone. No other safety on the roster, besides Dugger, can do this. The last to do so, Duron Harmon, played more than 60% of the Pats’ defensive snaps each of the past three seasons.
If Dugger cannot replace Harmon, he will be forced to feed from the same snaps trough as Chung, Phillips and Brooks: the hybrid linebacker-safety trough. Chung and Brooks played most of their snaps in the box last season; covering backs and tight ends and banging with offensive linemen on run plays. Phillips’ most common alignment the past three years has been inside the box.
This is where they are most comfortable and effective. That goes for Dugger, too, who played at the second level in college and acquitted himself well there during the Senior Bowl, when he led his team in tackles.
How consistently Dugger can catch up is another question. Timing is everything in the NFL, right ahead of talent.
Drafting Dugger was a long- and short-term play by the Patriots. Because of the pandemic and depth-related circumstances, perhaps this won’t be his year. But because of his raw ability, Dugger is a lock to surprise with a splash play or two in training camp.
Of course, the Pats would prefer the alternative: to have Dugger’s success eventually become so consistent those plays are a surprise to no one.
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July 20, 2020 at 05:01PM
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Patriots training camp countdown — No. 10: How much will Kyle Dugger play? - Boston Herald
"much" - Google News
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