Tag: Kyle Dugger

Instant analysis of Patriots re-signing S Kyle Dugger to four-year deal

The Patriots had one of the top defensive units in 2023, and Kyle Dugger re-signing ensures that group remains mostly intact.

Kyle Dugger’s contract situation hanging in limbo came to an end on Sunday with the starting safety agreeing to a massive four-year extension with the New England Patriots.

The deal has a base value of $58 million and can go up to $66 million. It contains $32.5 million in guarantees, which is the fifth-most guaranteed money for an NFL safety, per Over The Cap.

At $14.5 million annually, Dugger got a slight bump from the $13.8 million on his transition tag.

The move makes it a near clean sweep for the Patriots in retaining their in-house free agents. It’s also a solid deal for a player like Dugger, who has yet to make an All-Pro or Pro Bowl team in his career.

Make no mistake, he has been tremendously impactful in his role in the Patriots’ defensive backfield, but he has yet to break into that top-tier safety group in the NFL.

Of course, that hardly matters for what he’s meant to New England.

Dugger has stepped up as a leader for the team since Devin McCourty retired last year. The last thing the team wanted was losing McCourty and Dugger in back-to-back years. Dugger’s return should ensure the Patriots remain one of the top defensive units in the league in 2024.

Of course, it can’t answer for the many questions still remaining on the offensive side of the ball. The Patriots are still unsettled at quarterback, the offensive line is a disaster waiting to happen and the wide receiver position still lacks a true No. 1 target.

A better perspective would be considering Dugger’s long-term security clearing the road to a more offensive-focused draft for New England. There is no longer a need to focus on safety with considerations of how Dugger’s contract situation would unfold.

De facto general manager Eliot Wolf can now check that off the list and focus on bigger issues at hand.

Report: Patriots, S Kyle Dugger agree to massive four-year extension

Kyle Dugger gets a massive contract extension to stay in New England

The transition tag and safety Kyle Dugger are no more.

On Sunday, the New England Patriots and the burgeoning star safety agreed to a four year, $58 million extension. Per the Boston Herald’s Andrew Callahan, the contract is worth upwards of $66 million with $32.5 million guaranteed.

Dugger being signed makes it a near complete sweep for the Patriots in retaining their 2024 in-house free agents. It also keeps their defensive backfield intact for the foreseeable future.

The transition tag would have allowed another team to negotiate a contract with Dugger, but the Patriots would have had an opportunity to match whatever offer came his way. But it never got to that point between the two sides with New England determined to keep their core defensive unit together.

Now that they’ve managed to do so, the unit built by former coach Bill Belichick should remain as competitive as ever.

Patriots safety Kyle Dugger reportedly unhappy with transition tag designation

Kyle Dugger reportedly remains unhappy with his transition tag designation.

New England Patriots safety Kyle Dugger is unhappy with his transition tag designation to the point where he still has not signed, according to a report from the Boston Herald’s Andrew Callahan.

The tag allows Dugger to test the open market, and it also gives the Patriots a chance to match any incoming offers for the veteran defensive back.

He is coming off his best year with the Patriots in 2023, recording 109 tackles, 1.5 sacks and two interceptions. He has turned into one of the most productive safeties in the NFL and a cornerstone for the Patriots defense.

Callahan elaborated a bit more on Dugger’s dissatisfaction on Sunday, as transcribed by NESN.com’s Greg Dudek.

“Dugger remains dissatisfied with the transition tag, a one-year, $13.2 million placeholder that will keep him here in New England. As of late this week, he had not signed the tag.”

This development could be worrisome for the Patriots, as Dugger has been one of the team’s most dependable players. It could also cast some doubt on his future in New England, especially if the two sides aren’t able to agree on a deal.

Here’s what Jerod Mayo said on Patriots using transition tag on S Kyle Dugger

Jerod Mayo explained why the Patriots used the transition tag on Kyle Dugger

Before the franchise tag deadline, the New England Patriots delivered a mild surprise by utilizing a $13.8 million transition tag on safety Kyle Dugger.

Per ESPN Stats & Info, via Mike Reiss, the transition tag has only been used six times over the last 15 years. So these were clearly unique circumstances for the Patriots to go to such measures in an effort to keep Dugger in the defensive backfield.

With the move, New England earned the right to match any offer Dugger receives from another team. Patriots coach Jerod Mayo commented on the matter on Tuesday.

“Kyle is a talented player with a strong work ethic who has improved every year and been extremely productive since joining our team in 2020,” said Mayo, via Patriots.com. “We value players with high character and chose to use the transition designation to give both sides more time to try to reach a long-term agreement, which is our goal with Kyle.”

An argument could be made that free agent offensive lineman Mike Onwenu should have been a higher priority for the Patriots. Maybe that’s still the case, and the team didn’t think tagging him was necessary.

Dugger is a solid player in the defensive backfield, and the unit is clearly better with him back there. Defense was the calling card for the Patriots throughout the 2023 season, and it appears like that’ll remain the case in 2024 as well.

However, the offense remains a serious issue, and now, there are bigger questions than ever before with both starting tackles, Onwenu and Trent Brown, becoming free agents.

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Patriots placing transition tag on DB Kyle Dugger

The Patriots are placing the transition tag on Kyle Dugger, preventing him from hitting free agency

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.

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.

What does Tuesday’s franchise tag deadline mean for Patriots?

Will the Patriots use the franchise tag by Tuesday’s deadline?

The deadline for NFL teams to use the franchise tag is at 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday. That means it’s crunch time for the New England Patriots, if they’re considering using the tag on one of their pending free agents.

There are truly only two realistic options for the Patriots to consider: offensive tackle Mike Onwenu or safety Kyle Dugger.

Neither choice would be cheap.

Tagging Onwenu would cost the team $20.9 million for a guaranteed one-year contract, while keeping Dugger on such a deal would be $17.1 million. Of course, the team would much rather strike up a long-term deal with both players than the one-year placement rental.

Onwenu carries a hefty price tag, but he’s a vital player for the Patriots. His ability to play at both the offensive guard and tackle positions is a rare luxury for a rebuilding team. Keep in mind, Trent Brown is also a free agent this year, and none of the other tackles on the roster have panned out well for the Patriots.

It’s a trouble spot that could turn catastrophic if the team loses both Onwenu and Brown in free agency.

They’d definitely miss Kyle Dugger at safety, but there might be cheaper options in free agency or even the draft to help fill the void. The defense could survive without Dugger, but it’s hard to say the same for the offense without its two starting tackles.

Onwenu recently parted ways with his agency and has opted to represent himself in negotiations, which could make things interesting when it comes to renegotiating a possible extension with the Patriots. Meanwhile, Dugger recently changed agencies.

What happens on Tuesday could have a major impact on the Patriots’ approach in free agency and the 2024 NFL draft.

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1 pending free agent the Ravens could target from each AFC team

We’re looking at one pending free agent from each AFC team that the Baltimore Ravens could target

Free agency is about two weeks away, and the Baltimore Ravens have several players set to hit the open market. General manager Eric DeCosta has to make crucial decisions to fill roster holes.

While DeCosta will likely look to the free agent market for answers, several in-house free agents are candidates to sign an extension ahead of free agency.

But there are also many of them, including some of Baltimore’s higher-profile free agents, likely on the way out.

With the NFL combine set to wrap up and the new league year just eight days away, we’re looking at one pending free agent the Ravens could target from each AFC club.

Projected market value for Patriots’ top pending free agents

The Patriots have multiple in-house free agents they might want to re-sign. Here’s what it could cost them.

Big decisions loom on the horizon for the New England Patriots heading into free agency.

They’re sitting pretty right now with roughly over $100 million in available salary cap space, but they are also a team bogged down with various holes and upgrade needs on their roster.

Free agency isn’t just about paying big money to load up on outside talent. It’s also about keeping the talent you already have to ensure some continuity. Not everything was bad with the 4-13 Patriots, and this isn’t a situation where the organization is looking to throw the entire team away.

There were pieces that stood out as potential parts of an eventual solution in New England. and it now falls on Patriots executive Eliot Wolf and the front office to figure out ways to keep those pieces intact.

Today, we’re taking a closer look at the Patriots’ top free agents and their projected market values, according to PFF.com and Spotrac.com.

Report: Patriots offer S Kyle Dugger new deal before free agency

The Patriots reportedly “have offer on the table” for safety Kyle Dugger

Per MassLive’s Karen Guregian, the New England Patriots reportedly “have an offer on the table” for pending free agent safety Kyle Dugger.

It’s no surprise that the Patriots would be moving this soon to secure an extension for Dugger, who has been one of the team’s best defensive players in recent years. He stepped up in a big way as the leader in the defensive backfield last season, following Devin McCourty’s retirement. So the Patriots are hoping to keep the defensive nucleus intact moving into 2024.

But they aren’t the only team vying for Dugger’s services.

The question was never about whether the Patriots would extend an offer to their starting safety. It was more about whether those numbers aligned with how Dugger views himself on the open market.

Perhaps the offer is sufficient enough for Dugger to put pen to paper before the start of free agency, or he could keep it in his back pocket and see what else is out there when he starts talking to other teams.

Keep in mind, the Patriots are also prioritizing an extension for offensive guard/tackle Mike Onwenu, along with a bevy of other moves needed to help fill major holes on the roster.

The Patriots would love to have Dugger back on a new deal, but depending on how the market for his services unfolds, one has to wonder if he could potentially price himself out of a return.

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25 best free agent targets for the Patriots in 2024

Here are the 25 best free agent options for the Patriots

The New England Patriots are expected to be aggressive in free agency this offseason in an effort to fill multiple holes on their roster.

It’s no secret that the onus for the 4-13 finish in 2023 falls predominantly on the offensive struggles. There’s a need to fill at every offensive position for New England, most notably at quarterback, wide receiver and offensive tackle.

However, don’t think for one second that the defense will go ignored. That unit was one of the best in the NFL last season, and it kept the team in games that would have otherwise turned into blowouts.

If the Patriots hope to remain competitive in 2024, they’ll need to continue adding defensive playmakers to keep games close. In no particular order, here are the 25 best potential free agent targets for the Patriots: