The New England Patriots have their guy. At the start of the offseason, the team elected to give standout safety Kyle Dugger the transition tag. After months of discussion, the team has finally decided to give Dugger a much-deserved contract. Mike Garofolo reports that Dugger was given a $58 million contract over four years.

“Sources to me and @Eric_Edholm : The #Patriots and S Kyle Dugger have agreed to terms on a four-year deal. After receiving the transition tag, Dugger gets a multi-year deal above that number to remain in Foxboro for 2024 and beyond.”

Dugger was one of the best players in a Patriots defense that put a lot of emphasis on their ability to stop opposing offenses. Last season, Dugger tallied 108 tackles with one and a half sacks and two interceptions. His ability to play in coverage and in the box greatly helped the Pats in their defense, and allowed them to stay in games far longer than they should.

With Dugger in tow, the Patriots will now look to build towards the future with the safety at the helm. The Pats are in full rebuild mode, with the team trading Mac Jones and Bill Belichick out of the picture.

Kyle Dugger and the Patriots' defense

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Dugger was taken by the Patriots in the second-round of the 2020 draft. Halfway through the season, the team elected to put him in the starting lineup. That move paid off dividends for the team. Dugger immediately proved that he's one of the best young safeties in the league.

In his first full season as a starter, Dugger had four interceptions for a Patriots team that were one of the best defenses in the league. In fact, that defense was the second highest-scoring defense that year. He's only been better since then, nabbing three defensive TDs in 2022 and grabbing those 2 INTs and 1.5 sacks last year.

The Patriots will be entering a new era in 2024. Jerod Mayo, Belichick's former understudy, will now be in charge of the once-great franchise. They're in a bit of a rough spot, as they're set to enter a deep rebuild. Still, having an elite safety should hopefully make the rebuild less painful… and perhaps faster.