"Over the last few years, the Patriots have been a team more focused on adding superstar players to their roster rather than already having them on the team. With the exception of a few, like cornerback Christian Gonzalez, not many have been deemed desirable for other teams to call about, which made it surprising to hear that Mike Vrabel and Co. were hoping to get a few trades done before roster cutdowns. It was more surprising to find out who some of those players were, one of whom was longtime starting safety Kyle Dugger."
"Although it wasn't totally unexpected, given that he had progressively fallen down the depth chart at training camp, the idea that he had fallen so far behind that they didn't even want him on the roster anymore was hard to imagine. However, that was apparently not the case, and yet he was not traded; instead, he was named to the Patriots' 53-man roster for the upcoming season. The initial belief was that he only made it because teams weren't willing to take on his contract; therefore, no trades could be made. There's likely some truth to that, and some reporters have suggested as such, but Vrabel seemed to hint otherwise earlier this week."
"There's a good chance that Kyle Dugger actually earned his spot on the Patriots' roster for this season While speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Vrabel was inevitably asked about Dugger's preseason performance after a forgettable training camp that saw him practice more with the backup defense than with the starters. The head coach seemed to imply that they saw progression from Dugger and had changed his mind on his fit with the team, which suggests that he earned his spot on the roster rather than just being carried over due to a lack of trade success. #Patriots HC Mike Vrabel on S Kyle Dugger: "I think he's feeling better...I think he can help us."Vrabel pointed to Dugger's play in the preseason finale as a step forward for him.- Evan Lazar (@ezlazar) August 27, 2025"
Kyle Dugger slid down the Patriots' depth chart during training camp and surfaced as a surprising potential trade candidate ahead of roster cutdowns. Rather than being traded, Dugger remained with the team and was named to the 53-man roster for the upcoming season. Some believed his contract deterred trade interest, but coaching staff comments indicate on-field improvement influenced the decision. Mike Vrabel noted Dugger's progression, referencing the preseason finale and saying Dugger is feeling better and can help, implying the safety earned his roster spot through demonstrated performance.
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