On Tuesday, Patriots safety Kyle Dugger became one of only six NFL players in the past 15 years to receive the transition tag. With the offseason in full swing now and free agency right around the corner, teams are going to use every weapon in their arsenal to retain their star players, and the Patriots have decided to bring out a rare one. So what is this transition tag and how is it used?
You might have heard of the franchise tag but not the transition tag. Well, that’s because teams rarely use it. The last time it was used was in 2020. Much like a franchise tag, a transition tag is a one-year, fully guaranteed contract given to a pending free agent. Another similarity is the negotiating power with the players. Players are free to negotiate with other teams after they’ve received the transition tag.
However, the transition tag grants the original franchise the right to match any offer the player may receive from another team, and the player will have to stick with them. The transition tag can only be used once annually unless the team opts for a franchise tag instead. While transition tags can be revoked, teams that do so are unable to employ them again until the following season.
Unlike the franchise tag, which determines a player’s salary based on the top five salary cap hits at his position over the past five years, the transition tag relies on the top 10 salary cap hits over the same five-year period. Hence, transition tags are cheaper than franchise tags.
If the team that applied the tag chooses not to match the offer, the tagged player can join the new team. So, the original team is not eligible to receive any form of compensation for losing the player who was under the transition tag. Whereas, teams that opt not to match franchise-tagged offer sheets receive two first-round picks as compensation.
Kyle Dugger Becomes First Safety in Past 15 Years to Recieve Transition Tag
Dugger is not only the sixth player in the past 15 years to receive the transition tag, but also the only safety to receive it. The transition tag is $13.8 million, the average of the top 10 salaries for safeties. If the Patriots had opted to put the franchise tag on Dugger, it would’ve cost $17.1 million.
The Patriots will retain the option to sign Dugger to a multiyear contract at any point before the next offseason, unlike the franchise tag, which imposes a firm deadline for multiyear extensions on July 15 this summer. Since becoming a full-time starter, Dugger has emerged as just one of two players to achieve multiple interceptions and five or more tackles for loss.
So why did the Patriots opt to transition-tag him instead of placing the franchise tag? The probable rationale behind the Patriots opting for the transition tag rather than the franchise tag on Dugger likely stems from his coverage difficulties in 2023.
