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Dan Quinn has made versatile safeties key parts of his hybrid defenses for years. So the Washington Commanders head coach can offer the perfect scheme for “versatile” New England Patriots free agent Kyle Dugger.
The Commanders are the “best team fit” for Dugger, according to ESPN’s Matt Bowen. He believes “slotting the versatile Dugger into Dan Quinn’s defense makes a lot of sense. With his rare position versatility at 6-foot-2 and 228 pounds, Dugger can be deployed at multiple levels in sub-package personnel to create impact production.”
Regardless of where he’s lined up, Dugger has been productive: “Over four pro seasons with New England, Dugger has 343 tackles, 9 interceptions, 2 forced fumbles and 2.5 sacks.”
Dugger is likely to command one of the highest price tags among his position group during 2024 NFL free agency. The Commanders are projected by Spotrac.com to have a league-leading $83.5 million worth of space under the salary cap.
It means the Commanders are one of the few teams able to easily make room for Dugger’s next contract. In the process, the Commanders would get a prototype for a key role in Quinn’s schemes.
Kyle Dugger a Natural for Familiar Role
As a defensive back who can play at the linebacker level, Dugger is a natural for the flexible role Quinn usually incorporates into his units. Kam Chancellor played it when Quinn was coordinator of the famed ‘Legion of Boom’ defense for the Seattle Seahawks.
Quinn had Keanu Neal occupy the same position with the Atlanta Falcons. The same role was played by Jayron Kearse in Quinn’s defenses for the Dallas Cowboys.
Dugger would be a seamless fit thanks to his ability to create pressure on the blitz. Speed and timing are keys to Dugger’s pass-rush plan, like for this critical pressure against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 14, highlighted by Next Gen Stats.
No. 23 blitzed 45 times last season, registering 1.5 sacks, eight pressures and four hurries, per Pro Football Reference. Dugger’s ability to create pressure would be an asset for Quinn and defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr., but so would the safety’s comfort in man coverage.
Allowing a 68.8 completion percentage didn’t tell the whole story of Dugger’s ability to play in space. He’s most effective when lined up over a receiver and allowed to jam his matchup.
That’s what Dugger did effectively against dynamic Falcons’ tight end Kyle Pitts back in 2021. Highlights from Taylor Kyles of Patriots on CLNS showed how well Dugger can play press.
Physical, press coverage has been Quinn’s hallmark since his days in Seattle. Signing Dugger would give the Commanders a player able to bump and disrupt receivers at the line of scrimmage.
Quinn has inherited a safety who can do some of the same things, but not as well as Dugger.
Dan Quinn Has Kamren Curl Decision to Make
Getting Kamren Curl up to speed with the new playbook would quickly fill an important role in Quinn’s defense. Curl’s gone from a seventh-round pick in the 2020 NFL draft to a multi-faceted starter.
The 24-year-old is at his best playing as a de facto linebacker. For proof, Curl played 60 percent of his snaps in the box and made 10 tackles against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 1, according to Jon Macri of Pro Football Focus.
Curl is a good candidate for the franchise tag, but it would cost $16.224 million, per OverTheCap.com. The Commanders can afford the fee, but a deal for Dugger might be the better move.
Dugger’s market value is projected to be in a similar region at $16.5 million annually over four years. That’s a price the Patriots may not want to pay, although tagging Dugger “could potentially buy the sides more time to work on an extension while also helping the Patriots retain negotiating leverage with one of their top unrestricted free agents,” according to ESPN’s Mike Reiss.
If the Patriots don’t use the tag, Quinn and the Commanders should be at the front of the queue to offer Dugger a long-term contract.
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