The offseason brought a lot of turnover to the New England Patriots’ top-ranked defense, and the secondary was not immune to it either. After the team traded No. 3 safety Duron Harmon to the Detroit Lions in March, it also had to look to start with strong security expelling Patrick Chung for the 2020 season. To fill the void created by the departure , the Patriots will likely turn to their additions for the entire season.
Not only did the team add veterans Adrian Phillips and Cody Davis as unlimited free agents, it also selected Kyle Dugger in the second round of the draft before signing Myles Bryant as a rookie-free agent. All four have joined the mix at this point in training camp, and could play very prominent roles on the team – or on defense as special teams – as the regular season begins.
Along the way, they also left a positive impression on the Patriots’ longest-serving defender: safety Devin McCourty, who is entering his 11th season with the team, spoke about the new arrivals during a media conference following Tuesday’s practice.
“Those guys have put a lot of effort all the way back to the spring, to just know the defense, to get to know each other,” the team captain said. “Even though it was not the usual spring, we just had a good time in our DB meetings. We have a lot of guys who are jokers in, and I think the new guys fit well in just juggling and trying to get to know each other in a personal and relationship way. I think that in recent years has been so special about our group, we have all had great relationships.
‘I feel like this group is starting to unite. Of course it takes time, but there are on the field and communicating – we have all played together so far. We will just continue to work on that communication. We have a lot of guys outside around the corner back, so it makes it easier with the veteran leadership of those guys and in the security position group. Just make sure we keep doing it, putting in the time. Last year, sometimes some of that stuff just happened on natural because of the years of experience working together and getting it to a high level. “
While all the new guys have seen a lot of practice training for training camps over the past three days, one among them stands out as the most actively involved: Kyle Dugger.
The 37th overall selection of this year’s draft has had an impressive string of performances since the Patriots put on their full pads for the first time on Monday. He recorded one interception each on Tuesday and Wednesday – one against Jarrett Stidham, the other against Cam Newton – and found himself on a regular basis around the ball. Furthermore, the coaching staff of New England does not shy away from using him in multiple roles as both a deep security and closer to the box in a Chung-like role.
“I think it’s been good,” McCourty said of working with the first-year defensive back. ‘I’m always excited when we get new rookies in and guys who want to learn. He has been so. I shared some messages with him before we started, just talking to him about the defense, about being a bit of a professional. But he has been like that – I would say him and Myles in our room, the two new defensive backs, both.
‘We try to listen to them. We try to ask them questions in order to take them for granted. They answer them. You can tell they are both going home and studying at night, making sure they are ready. I think when you guys see that doing that, it appears on the field. ”
While Bryant has a smarter way for him than an evolved rookie trying to make a name for himself within the deepest defensive field in the league, Dugger already seems to adapt well to life in the NFL.
This was not a given considering he spent his college days at Lenoir-Rhyne of Divion-II. After going up against teams like Tusculum, Limestone and St. Louis. Augustine’s – schools that have combined two players since the NFL-AFL merger – he now has to adapt to the speed and physicality of the pro level. While still early in the process, the 24-year-old seems to be adapting well to the improved opposition he has on a daily basis.
“Of course they’re far from perfect, but it shows the times they get things right,” McCourty said of Dugger and fellow rookie Myles Bryant. ‘Sometimes it’s some of the more advanced things, but you can tell they’re doing the work, they’re trying to learn from everyone in our meeting rooms – whether it’s myself or it’s [Jason McCourty] of [Stephon Gilmore], try to give a coaching point from their experience. You can tell these guys are hanging on like a sponge. ”
As for Dugger in particular, McCourty seemed happy with his development up to this point.
“Dugg has been really good,” he said. ‘I think every time you can come in with a man and just play together and talk to him and learn how we play and play each other, it’s been really good and he’s had a chance to play with so far all our safeties. So we just have to keep building. ”
After a tumultuous offseasons, the Patriots defense will demand more from its rookies than in years past. Players like second-round linebackers Josh Uche and Anfernee Jennings could play prominent roles on defense, while developed players like Myles Bryant and De’Jon Harris could also find themselves on the team if they continued to be seen in practice. However, the leader of that youth movement is Kyle Dugger.
