Kyle Dugger reportedly still ‘dissatisfied’ with receiving transition tag from Patriots
The Patriots gave Dugger the transition tag in early March, which he still hasn't signed.
The Patriots re-signed all of their top free agents so far this offseason except for one, and the lone player from that group could still end up being the odd man out.
Kyle Dugger “remains dissatisfied” with the Patriots’ decision to place the transition tag on him earlier this offseason, The Boston Herald‘s Andrew Callahan reported Sunday.
The Patriots’ decision to give Dugger the transition tag at the beginning of March was a bit of a surprise. While some speculated that the safety was likely to receive the franchise tag, the transition tag has been rarely used, with only five players receiving it in the previous 15 years.
But the distinction saved the Patriots some money. Dugger’s salary on the transition tag is $13.8 million, which is more than a few million less than what he would’ve received if the Patriots placed the franchise tag on him ($17.1 million).
It also presented Dugger with some obstacles in order to sign with a team in free agency. While a team wouldn’t have to owe any draft-pick compensation for signing Dugger, the offer sheet would be tied to their cap space until the Patriots decide to match it or not.
Dugger could still sign with another team, although it might be a bit more difficult as 20 teams have fewer than $20 million in cap space, per OverTheCap.com.
The transition tag allows the Patriots to trade Dugger as well. The Chiefs recently moved cornerback L’Jarius Sneed in a trade to the Titans after giving him the franchise tag, receiving a 2023 third-round pick. Sneed, who had permission to speak to other teams, wound up signing a four-year, $72 million extension as a result.
It doesn’t seem like the Patriots would be able to similar compensation, though. The Patriots are “unlikely” to receive more than a fourth-round pick for Dugger in a trade, according to Callahan.
Of course, the Patriots and Dugger could also come to a resolution on a multi-year deal, which was their stated desire when they gave him the transition tag.
“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,” Patriots coach Jerod Mayo said in a statement at the time. “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.”
There’s typically a deadline though for teams to agree to multi-year deals with players on the franchise and transition tags. While the NFL hasn’t announced when that date is yet, it’s typically in mid-July.
Dugger recorded a career-high 109 combined tackles in 2023, adding two interceptions and a forced fumble.
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