The New England Patriots have made their first big roster move since entering the post-Bill Belichick era.
The Patriots reportedly placed the transition tag on safety Kyle Dugger, who was set to hit free agency next week. The transition tag rarely is used by NFL teams and has key differences from the more widely used franchise tags.
New England Patriots Place Transition Tag on Kyle Dugger
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler was the first to report the news, with NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport and CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones confirming.
The tag carries a one-year salary of $13.8 million for safeties. However, players assigned the transition tag are free to negotiate with other teams in free agency.
If Dugger receives an offer, the Patriots have the right to match it. If they decline, they won’t receive any draft-pick compensation — unlike with the non-exclusive franchise tag.
Additionally, per the collective bargaining agreement, teams only can use one franchise or transition tag per offseason. So, the tagging of Dugger means versatile offensive lineman Mike Onwenu will reach free agency unless he and the Patriots agree to a long-term deal before next Wednesday.
Tagging Dugger increases the chances of him staying in New England and also gives the two sides extra time to work on a new deal. The Patriots likely would be willing to match certain external offers for Dugger, but if the price gets out of whack, the 27-year-old could leave New England.
The Patriots selected Dugger in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft. He’s developed into one the best playmaking safeties in the NFL, forcing 11 turnovers and scoring two defensive touchdowns over the last three seasons.
NFL Teams Rarely Use the Transition Tag
Most NFL fans are familiar with the exclusive and non-exclusive franchise tags, which are used with relative frequency each offseason. However, the transition tag is less known and seldom used.
In fact, just five players have received the transition tag over the last 10 seasons:
RB Kenyan Drake, Arizona Cardinals (2020)
CB Kyle Fuller, Chicago Bears (2018)
TE Charles Clay, Miami Dolphins (2015)
C Alex Mack, Cleveland Browns (2014)
LB Jason Worilds, Pittsburgh Steelers (2014)
KEEP READING: What Is the NFL Franchise Tag and How Does It Work?
So, the transition tag isn’t unprecedented — but it’s rare. And the Patriots using it might reflect how they feel about Dugger, who’s a good player but isn’t elite and already might have reached his ceiling.
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