Jason McCourty thinks the Bengals may have landed a useful piece in Kyle Dugger, and he likes the fit for a reason that jumps off the screen: versatility.
McCourty, the former NFL defensive back and current ESPN analyst, joined the Bengals Booth Podcast with Dan Hoard this week and spoke at length about what his old New England teammate can add to Cincinnati’s defense. McCourty and Dugger were together with the Patriots in 2020, and McCourty came away with a lasting impression of Dugger’s athletic profile.
"He's a physical freak, and that was the one thing that was so impressive when he first got there," McCourty said about playing with Dugger. "Big safety can play in the box, but has the range and athleticism in the back end to get sideline to sideline, and I think for Dugger over these last few years, trying to find a fit within different schemes has been a bit of a challenge, and I think for him getting back to the basics, this is a spot where Cincinnati, I think, needed help at the safety position.
"Bryan Cook, a sure tackler, I think he's going to help a ton, especially with leadership in the back end, and you get a guy like Dugger, you have (Jordan) Battle there, Geno Stone struggled a little bit a year ago, so getting other guys in there that not only can play out there but also can force communication throughout that back end. I think Dugger, if he can get back to the player he was, he's a chess piece, not that he has to be a starter there, but if you have a guy that you can play in the box in some of those dime situations, but also a guy that you can play in base at safety, that scheme flexibility goes such a long way."
That kind of role would fit what Cincinnati appears to be after. Dugger has dealt with sub-50 Pro Football Focus grades over the last two seasons and has totaled just two pass breakups in that stretch, compared with nine across the 2022-23 seasons combined. Even so, there’s still a path for him to rebound as he enters his Age-30 season.
McCourty also made it clear he’s been paying attention to the energy Joe Burrow has brought throughout the offseason. With a revamped defensive group now in place to help support the offense, he sees reason for optimism around Cincinnati.
"I think just as an NFL fan, Joe Burrow is one of the very best players in our league," McCourty told Hoard. "So, hearing his excitement about this Cincinnati team, and I think a lot of analysts are excited about the moves they've made on defense, obviously, the returning stars that they have on the offensive side of the ball, but hearing Joe Burrow be that fired up about this team, just his offseason.
He's mentioned the Super Bowl multiple times. He's mentioned winning a ton of games in Cincinnati.
I think it goes a long way."
McCourty’s full conversation with Hoard is available on the Bengals Booth Podcast.
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