Patriots place transition tag on safety Kyle Dugger, per report

The veteran safety is now set to play on a one-year, $13.82 million contract.

Just hours before Tuesday’s franchise tag deadline, the New England Patriots have made a move. The club has decided to place the transition tag on safety Kyle Dugger, as first reported by Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.

Dugger will therefore not enter unrestricted free agency when the market opens next Wednesday. Instead, he is scheduled to spend the 2024 season on a one-year, $13.82 million contract.

While the transition tag is similar to the franchise tag — it is a fully-guaranteed one-year deal — there are some significant differences between the two.

The one used by the Patriots, for example, “only” pays a player the average of the top 10 salaries at his position over the last season and is therefore cheaper than the franchise tag. However, it only guarantees a club the right of first refusal to match any incoming offers. If Dugger signs an offer sheet and the Patriots do not match, they would not receive any compensation.

Dugger originally arrived in New England as a second-round selection in the 2020 NFL Draft. Over the next four seasons, the Lenoir-Rhyne product developed into a cornerstone of the team’s defense: appearing in 62 total games with 53 starts, he registered nine interceptions as well as two fumble recoveries and three defensive touchdowns.

Along the way, Dugger also took over a leadership role in New England’s secondary. He was groomed as the successor for long-time starting safety Devin McCourty, a role he assumed following the veteran’s retirement last offseason.

The Patriots wanting to keep Dugger in the fold therefore did not come as a surprise. In fact, director of scouting Eliot Wolf said so himself at the Scouting Combine in Indianapolis last week.

Now, New England has taken a major step to keep Dugger around at least for 2024. Given the nature of the transition tag, however, the situation remains a fluid one.