Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images Delpit was selected seven picks after Dugger in the 2020 NFL Draft, and recently signed a new three-year deal. The New England Patriots are heading toward one of the most intriguing offseasons in recent memory. Besides the future of head coach Bill Belichick, and thus the entire foundation of the club’s football operation, seemingly being in question, the Patriots also have several soon-to-be free agents that need to be taken care of. Regardless of who will be tasked to do that, it seems likely that Kyle Dugger is near the top of the priorities list. The 2020 second-round draft pick, whose rookie contract is set to expire in mid-March, has proven himself one of the better safeties in football and a vital piece of the Patriots defense. As such, bringing him back would make sense no matter the circumstances surrounding the organization as a whole. The question is: at what terms? Based on past precedent, the Patriots allowing Dugger to enter free agent and give him a look at the open market and its offerings could happen. If they want to be proactive when it comes to locking up one of their best player, though, they might just look to Cleveland to find a blueprint of a potential extension. Browns safety Grant Delpit, who was drafted seven spots behind Dugger in 2020, recently signed a new deal that will keep him with the team through 2026. In total, the three-year pact has a value of $36 million with $14.9 million fully-guaranteed. Both he and Dugger have been good players for their respective teams, but their situations are a bit different. Delpit, for example, is two-and-a-half years younger while not having shown quite the same playmaking ability as his fellow fourth-year pro. Putting all that into account, and considering the template in place, the Patriots and Dugger might want to aim for a deal in a similar ballpark with an average of at least $12 million per season. If so, the following proposal by salary cap expert Miguel Benzan seems like a reasonable one for both parties involved. 
Miguel Benzan (@patscap) At a total value of $40.5 million over three years with $27.66 million guaranteed, Dugger would get paid slightly above Delpit and enter the ranks of the highest-paid safeties in football. The average of $13.5 million per year would put him in the top-10 at his position, and be reflective of his status as a premier player. An argument can be made that Dugger is deserving of more given his importance to the Patriots’ defensive operation. Given the baseline and structure provided by the Delpit contract, and considering his age (he will turn 28 in March) and injury history (he did not play a full season over his first three years in the league), an eventual deal hovering somewhere around this projection seems plausible. Of course, it takes two to tango. And even if the Patriots have an interest in retaining Dugger — and based on all the facts, why wouldn’t they? — he too needs to be willing to return; uncertainty surrounding the team’s future beyond this season might make him hesitant to agree to a deal now. Whenever the two sides get together to talk contract, working off the Grant Delpit extension looks like a sensible approach. Source: https://www.patspulpit.com/2023/12/13/2 ... ant-delpit
