FOXBORO — Were it not for his contract, Kyle Dugger might be elsewhere.

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This summer, the Patriots engaged in trade talks with multiple teams that had interest in Dugger but ultimately passed. The 29-year-old safety remained on the Pats’ roster through Tuesday’s roster cuts, after potential suitors were unwilling to absorb most of the remaining three years on the four-year, $58 million extension he signed last year.

And so, Dugger and the Patriots now walk hand in hand into the regular season and past the discomfort of a near summer split.

“If anything, I was pretty neutral on it,” Dugger told reporters this week. “I knew anything could happen, so that’s kind of where I stayed. I spent a lot of time with my family (Tuesday), and that was very grounding and humbling, so

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