The New England Patriots re-signing Kyle Dugger and adding Baker Mayfield in free agency have been two of the most desired moves by those who follow the team this offseason, but they're two of the players Jerod Mayo's team must avoid most.

Sure, the Patriots have just under $85 million in cap space at their disposal. They also have a pressing need for a quarterback, and Mayfield's one of the best veterans available. Dugger has also been one of the organization's few worthwhile early-round draft picks in the last 10 years.

But what New England needs to consider this offseason is also building the best team for the long-term future, not just 2024. That's how the Patriots found themselves in an unideal spot over the last two seasons after a record free-agency spending spree in 2021.

So, here's why Dugger and Mayfield wouldn't be worth the money for the Patriots in 2024 NFL free agency.

Baker Mayfield

Baker Mayfield (Buccaneers) in Patriots uniform

Mayfield's comeback season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers might have been the best story in the NFL last year, but the Patriots should proceed with caution if they're going to try and sign him.

The former No. 1 overall pick is not too far removed from being the quarterback no one wanted to trade for during the 2022 offseason and was subsequently benched by the Carolina Panthers for Sam Darnold. After a solid 2020 campaign, Mayfield threw for just 3,010 yards, 17 touchdowns and 13 interceptions with an 83.1 passer rating in 2021, playing under new Patriots offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt in his final season with the Cleveland Browns.

A year later, Mayfield threw for 1,313 yards, six touchdowns and six interceptions with a 74.4 passer rating in seven games with the Panthers. He was slightly better in his limited time with the Los Angeles Rams, but was still unspectacular while throwing for just 850 yards over five games.

If Mayfield was a known stop-gap option for New England, he'd make more sense. But it seems that he's going to command a good deal of money and a multi-year commitment on the open market.. That's how the New York Giants found themselves stuck with Daniel Jones for at least another season, if not two.

Don't be the Giants, stuck with a quarterback on a high salary who's played more bad football than not over the last three years. Instead, get a cheaper, one-year option to help set up whoever you draft at quarterback in April 2025.

Kyle Dugger

Jerod Mayo with emoji eyes in his eyes looking at Patriots Kyle Dugger

The Patriots indicated at least some desire to keep Dugger on Tuesday when they gave him the transition tag on Tuesday. But that rarely-used move also serves as a clear sign the team doesn't value him that much.

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At $13.82 million, the transition tag is cheaper than the franchise tag ($17.1 million) by a few million dollars. On top of utilizing the cheaper option, the only other benefit the Patriots get if Dugger signs with another team is the right to match his contract. They won't get first-round picks in return, which would've happened if a team signed Dugger off the franchise tag (though that was unlikely to happen). They also won't get a compensatory draft pick for losing him in 2025 if he signs elsewhere.

Beyond that, Dugger's positional fit and overall talent doesn't command the eight-figure salary he might be seeking in free agency. As laid bare by several teams around the league this week, safety just isn't a valuable position. Safeties Jordan Poyer, Justin Simmons, Quandre Diggs and Jamal Adams were the most notable cap casualties this week outside of Russell Wilson, showing teams would rather spend elsewhere on the roster.

Even looking at the Patriots' roster, Dugger isn't a clear fit. Jabril Peppers emerged as the stronger option between the two as an inside-the-box safety this past season and Marte Mapu, a 2023 third-round pick, is waiting in the wing.

Dugger found himself playing free safety a good deal last season. He didn't fare well in that role, allowing 45 receptions on 63 targets for 446 yards last season, earning a mediocre 50 coverage grade from Pro Football Focus.

New England should strongly consider removing the transition tag from Dugger at this point, clearing out some additional cap space to replace him with a more natural free safety.