Predicting where each of the top-30 NFL free agents will sign

18. Kyle Dugger
Previous Team: New England Patriots
Future Team: Pittsburgh Steelers

This is another Patriots player, which has us wondering how such a talented team went 4-13. Then, we remember Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe were two of the worst QBs in the league. The Patriots need to do some convincing to keep these players around. Kyle Dugger might be the best one (although, again, not the best fit). 

Dugger was great at safety last season. His position might be the only reason he sticks with the Pats. Outside of kicker and tight end, safety has the cheapest franchise tag in the league. It would cost the Patriots a little over $18 million on a one-year deal to keep Dugger in-house. 

The issue is Dugger wasn’t nearly as good in 2023 as he was the year prior. He became a true every-down player, which he wasn’t in 2022, but he struggled in coverage. He’s still great rushing from the box, but he needs to keep passes in front of him too. Will the Patriots decide he’s not worth the money and let him test free agency?

If he does, this has Pittsburgh written all over it. Mike Tomlin is trying to make major changes to the Steelers' depth chart now that he has the coaching staff in check. There are rumors the Steelers are looking to spend this offseason, with a quarterback move a possibility, but truly the Steelers need to settle this secondary. Dugger can be versatile in Tomlin’s defense, and that’s exactly the type of player they usually target.