Patriots place transition tag on Dugger

The New England Patriots are applying the transition tag to safety Kyle Dugger, the team announced Tuesday.

The tag allows Dugger to talk to other teams in free agency while providing the Patriots the right of first refusal. If New England matches the opposing offer, Dugger must re-sign. If the franchise doesn't, it won't receive any draft pick compensation.

The tender is worth $13.8 million, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

"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," head coach Jerod Mayo said in a statement. "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."

A second-round pick in 2020, Dugger has been a versatile defensive back for the Patriots. He's recorded multiple interceptions in each of the last three seasons, including two in 2023. Dugger also put up a career-high 109 tackles last season.

Dugger has nine career interceptions, three defensive touchdowns, 343 tackles, and 2.5 sacks.

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