The New England Patriots didn’t have many bright spots in their abysmal 4-13 season in 2023, but one of the few was the performance of safety Kyle Dugger.
Dugger is fresh off a career-high 109 tackles to go along with a pair of interceptions and seven pass deflections during a season where he played all 17 games for New England.
The Pats are now rewarding him for his efforts, as ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler has reported that the team is using the transition tag on Dugger, which will pay him $13.8 million for 2024.
Source: #Patriots are placing the transition tag on safety Kyle Dugger
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) March 5, 2024
Dugger played 98% of the defensive snaps for New England, which was the most on the team and helped solidify a defense that just lost longtime safety Devin McCourty.
The $13.8 million tag represents the average of the top 10 safeties in the league.
Dugger still has the option to sign an offer sheet with another team, which would give the Patriots a chance to then match the offer.
The transition tag pays the average of the top 10 players at a position, whereas the franchise tag is top five.
Kenyan Drake of the Cardinals was the last player to receive the transition tag in 2020.
Using the tag on Dugger means that New England cannot franchise tag offensive lineman Mike Onwenu, though the Pats still have one of the league’s most favorable cap situations if they seek to opt for an extension instead.
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