"There have been a lot of questions surrounding the Patriots' defensive roster decisions over the last few weeks, most of which stemmed from the unexpected release of safety Jabrill Peppers days after the roster cut deadline. Throughout the summer, he had looked like a roster lock, as he was barely on the field during the preseason, only to be abruptly released and leave the Patriots' secondary vulnerable going into the season opener."
"Getting the start was certainly notable for Dugger, since reports indicated the only reason he wasn't traded was that the Patriots wouldn't agree to taking on more of his contract than the teams hoping to acquire him. However, unfortunately for him, it doesn't appear that their confidence has grown at all over the last few weeks because he was only on the field for seven snaps before being permanently replaced by players like Jaylinn Hawkins and Craig Woodson, both of whom had standout performances."
The unexpected release of safety Jabrill Peppers after the roster cut deadline left the Patriots' secondary thin heading into the season. Peppers had appeared to be a roster lock during the summer but was abruptly let go, elevating Kyle Dugger as the most tenured safety. Dugger started Week 1 because teams balked at the Patriots taking on more of his contract in a trade. Dugger played only seven defensive snaps before being replaced by Jaylinn Hawkins and Craig Woodson, whose performances suggested limited organizational confidence in Dugger and ongoing trade considerations.
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