FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Quick-hit thoughts and notes around the New England Patriots and NFL:
1. Dugger's deal: The last player who was drafted by the Patriots in the first three rounds and signed a contract extension with the team is 2013 third-round safety Duron Harmon. That reflects the Patriots' shaky run of early-round drafting.
But that likely will change soon, because 2020 second-round picks safety Kyle Dugger and linebacker Josh Uche, 2020 third-round linebacker Anfernee Jennings and 2021 second-round nose tackle Christian Barmore are all worthy candidates for an extension -- and the Patriots, according to first-year coach Jerod Mayo, are prepared to "burn some cash.