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, Conor Roche of The Boston Globe reports.
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.
Don't forget to follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/theredzoneorg
Don't forget to follow us on Threads at https://www.threads.net/@theredzoneorg
Like us on Facebook at http://facebook.com/Theredzone.org