The Patriots defense nearly led the NFL in every statistical category in 2019 with Patrick Chung as one of the unquestioned leaders. Although Patrick Chung was caught up in some legal action before the 2019 season and didn’t perform that well, his play style fits the versatile New England defensive system that Bill Belichick loves to employ. With the Pats using their first 2020 draft pick on a Safety, many wondered if Chung’s days as a Patriot were numbered. But after inking a two-year extension, let’s take a look at his future outlook in Foxborough and how the Pats are prepared for the future with all these options in the secondary.
Patrick Chung’s a sturdy veteran who’s biggest impact will come through leadership and run defense. Belichick believed Chung was one of the best Safeties in the NFL back in 2018, but based off his 2019 performance, age seems to be taking its course. With a newly signed 2y/$6.45M extension, Chung’s full deal is now 4yr/$14.25M that could allow him to be a patriot until he’s 36. With less than $2M in potential cap savings each year, it’s likely he’ll play out the full length of the deal unless his production falls off a cliff.
The Patriots still see enough in the veteran to extend him even after he dealt with law enforcement (cocaine) and a meager 54.9 PFF grade in 2019. The Patriots even traded Safety Duron Harmon, who’s three years younger and showed plenty of promise by snagging 10 INT over the last three years, despite only starting 17 games. While Harmon’s youth is appealing, the decision to stick with Chung will allow him to stay with the franchise he’s spent 10 out of his 11 years in the NFL with. He’s had some good and bad seasons over the last five years, but an offseason without any controversy could help Chung reclaim his starting-caliber ways for a few years before his mid-30’s catch up to him.
FUTURE OUTLOOK: C+
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The Patriots have found sustainable success by developing safeties that specialize in different parts of the game. Patrick Chung is a run-stuffing Safety that likes to be close to the line of scrimmage and is often matched up against TEs. The always reliable Devin McCourty is a jack-of-all-trades who excels through ball skills and play recognition.
Newly added Free Agent Adrian Phillips is a bit of a question mark, as the former Charger has never started more than seven games in a season and missed most of 2019 with a broken arm. The Pats decided to move on from Duron Harmon and bring in the 28-year-old Safety on a 2y/$6M contract. Based off the timing of the trade and Phillips role in LA/SD, he’s expected to be featured in a similar hybrid role as Harmon and be the third starting Safety in New England’s dime-heavy system.
The Patriots emphasize secondary depth, which has led them to using three-safety sets more than any team in the NFL. Barring any injuries, NE can’t allow the likes of Terrence Brooks or Cody Davis to be anything more than Special Teams contributors as they will be easy targets for any offensive game-plan. The Patriots could also find themselves in a tough situation in the near future as both of their longtime Safeties Devin McCourty and Patrick Chung are currently 32-years-old. New England is starting to look towards the future and sure up their defensive backfield by drafting S Kyle Dugger in the 2nd round from Lenoir-Rhyne (D-II).
Despite playing at a Division II program, the unheralded Dugger put his skills to the test when participating in the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama that impressed Belichick. Kyle came away from that week with scouts drooling over his combination of size, speed, explosiveness, and production, but some are still hesitant about his ability to make the jump from DII to the NFL. With McCourty, Phillips, and Chung all being under contract through 2021 the Patriots have put Dugger in the perfect situation to learn from established vets and adapt to the change in competition.
Patriots S OUTLOOK: B-
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