The New England Patriots took care of some important business last week by giving Matthew Judon a contract adjustment. But their work may not be done yet.
The Patriots have several players on expiring contracts entering the 2023 season, including key contributors like offensive guard Michael Onwenu, tight end Hunter Henry, safety Kyle Dugger, outside linebacker Josh Uche. Dugger and Uche in particular are core members of New England's defense who should receive significant pay bumps after their rookie deals expire.
That means the Patriots may not be willing or able to keep both players past 2023. So, who should they prioritize? NBC Sports Boston's Phil Perry made the case for Dugger during Monday's episode of Arbella Early Edition, highlighting the 27-year-old's versatility.
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"Kyle Dugger really helps this defense go," Perry said. "The Patriots play more dime defense -- so six defensive backs on the field -- than any team in the NFL, and I think Dugger is the reason why, because you can use him as a linebacker, you can use him as a blitzer, you can use him in the deep part of the field ... you can use him (to cover) tight ends. He hits like a linebacker, he moves like a DB."
Perry also pointed out that Dugger's price tag might be lower than that of Uche, since safeties generally earn less than pass rushers.
"This is where the Patriots come in: safeties, generally speaking, don't get paid relative to other positions," Perry noted. "So you could get away with giving him a really good deal for his position without completely breaking the bank."
Perry's co-host, Mike Giardi of the Boston Sports Journal, believes the Patriots should prioritize Uche over Dugger for one main reason: Marte Mapu, the hybrid safety-linebacker the team selected in the third round of this year's draft.
"I'm gonna tell you why you're wrong: because they drafted Mapu, and he probably, conceivably, at least from what we've seen so far, might be able to do some of the things that Dugger did," Giardi said.
"He hasn't put the pads on yet, so we haven't seen that part of it, but there's a lot of hype around that player. I feel like they drafted him with the idea that maybe Kyle is hitting the bricks after the season."
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From Giardi's viewpoint, Uche can make more of an impact in New England, considering he racked up 11.5 sacks during a breakout third season in 2022 and has looked dominant early in 2023 training camp.
"I think he is ascending," Giardi said of Uche. "I think he has been downright unblockable here in training camp. It doesn't matter what tackle (he's going against), and I know we're talking about a lower quality of tackle perhaps, but I think this is a player that's ascending.
"I think if you look at (Matthew) Judon, maybe you look at that as a one-year deal and you say, 'OK, if we move on from Matthew after this year, well, who's the guy?' Uche may be that guy already."
Time is of the essence on the Uche front: If the 24-year-old has another strong season, he could command a hefty salary in 2024 free agency that the Patriots may not want to match -- which could motivated New England to extend Uche before this season begins.
Check out Perry and Giardi's full debate in the video player above.