Before the franchise tag deadline, the New England Patriots delivered a mild surprise by utilizing a $13.8 million transition tag on safety Kyle Dugger.
Per ESPN Stats & Info, via Mike Reiss, the transition tag has only been used six times over the last 15 years. So these were clearly unique circumstances for the Patriots to go to such measures in an effort to keep Dugger in the defensive backfield.
With the move, New England earned the right to match any offer Dugger receives from another team. Patriots coach Jerod Mayo commented on the matter on Tuesday.