Patriots place transition tag on Kyle Dugger

Photo by Michael Owens/Getty ImagesThe New England Patriots new regime made their first impactful move of their tenure on Tuesday, as they applied the transition tag to safety Kyle Dugger ahead of the 4 p.m. ET deadline.

Here’s what that means for New England with free agency quickly approaching.

Right of refusal

After receiving the transition tag, Kyle Dugger will still hit free agency on Wednesday if the two sides do not come to agreement on a long-term contract. However, he now essentially does so at a restricted level.

With the transition tag, New England receives the right of first refusal and may match any offer that the player receives on the open market. If they choose not to do so, the…