The New England Patriots won’t let one of their top free agents hit the market this spring. According to reports, they’re placing the transition tag on safety Kyle Dugger.
The transition tag is a one-year tender worth an average of the top 10 salaries among all safeties, so it will pay him $13.8 million for one season. That’s less than it would’ve cost the Patriots to place the franchise tag on Dugger, which carried a price tag of $17.1 million.
Dugger can now field offers from other teams, but the Patriots have the right to match those offers. If the Patriots don’t match any potential offers, they aren’t given any compensation for losing Dugger.
The Patriots can still sign Dugger to a long-term deal and they don’t have a July 15 deadline like they would have with the franchise tag.
It's $13.8M for the transition tag. https://t.co/HyjjHto0Zz
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 5, 2024
In four years with the Patriots, Dugger has 343 tackles, nine interceptions and three touchdowns, all of which he scored in 2022.
He’s also recorded 2.5 sacks and landed nine hits on the quarterback, showing impressive versatility on defense. He’s become one of the Patriots’ most valuable defenders, which is why New England used the tag on him this offseason.