Will the New England Patriots use the franchise tag?
According to ESPN’s Mike Reiss, the New England Patriots could utilize an asset previously not used under the Bill Belichick regime…the franchise tag.
Part of Reiss’ reasoning is that Dugger has been an absolute workhorse for the Patriots’ defense, something that draws comparisons to recently extended safety, Jessie Bates II.
“As for Dugger, he played 97% of the defensive snaps last season and totaled 107 tackles (a team-high 70 solo). He is ranked 25th among 2024 free agents by ESPN’s Matt Bowen and the second safety behind Tampa Bay’s Antoine Winfield Jr. (10th overall). Last year’s top free agent safety, Jessie Bates II, signed a four-year, $64 million contract with the Atlanta Falcons.”
Former New England Patriots All-Pro safety, Devin McCourty says due to Bill Belichick no longer being involved in the organization, there’s no telling on how the club will handle the franchise tag after not using it seemingly year after year.
“It will be interesting because historically the team has preferred to avoid using the franchise tag in hopes of continuing to make the overall roster better. So now we’ll see what they do in the new era in New England .
“I remember a coach told me that the goal for any great player is to be consistent and then have those other plays you make that not many people can make. I would put [Kyle] Dugger up there with some of the top players when it comes to making plays that you say, ‘How the hell did he just do that?’ I think that is what is great about his game.”
New England Patriots’ Historic Two-Decade Run Prior to 2020
Just hours after famously resigning as the head coach of the New York Jets on a napkin…yes, a napkin. Bill Belichick was hired as the head coach of the New England Patriots in 2000. This comes after a modest 36-44 tenure as the leader of the sidelines with the Cleveland Browns from 1991 through 1995, and stints with the Patriots and Jets as an assistant from 1996 until his hiring in 2000. Following a 5-11 first season in Foxboro, Belichick righted the ship, most famously due to a certain Tom Brady stepping in for Drew Bledsoe following the latter’s injury in week 2 of the 2001 season.
Even after Bledsoe, who had freshly signed what at the time was the biggest contract in NFL history, Belichick stuck with the hot hand in Brady, who was just months removed from being the 199th pick in the draft. The Patriots would go on to beat ‘The Greatest Show on Turf’ in the form of the Kurt Warner-led St. Louis Rams to secure the franchise’s first Super Bowl win. Belichick and Brady would famously go on to win six Super Bowl titles before Brady’s departure to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers following the 2019 season.
Brady went on to win another Super Bowl in Tampa Bay, his seventh, while Belichick was tasked with replacing the best player in the history of the sport…something that the Patriots are still struggling with as the club went just 4-13 this past season, which led to them owning the 3rd pick in this coming April’s NFL Draft.
For More NFL and College Football News:
Follow me on Twitter/X @CJBeantown! To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in NFL and College Football news, click here!
