The Patriots are placing the transition tag on impending free-agent safety Kyle Dugger, a source confirmed to the Herald.

The transition tag costs $13.81 million and means the Patriots have right of first refusal if another team offers Dugger a contract. If the Patriots were to lose Dugger to a contract offer from another team, they would receive no compensation, barring a trade.

The Patriots cannot place a tag on impending free-agent offensive lineman Mike Onwenu, who is expected to represent himself this offseason after firing his agents.

Dugger has been a key cog in the Patriots’ defense since being selected in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft out of Lenoir-Rhyne. He primarily played strong safety in his first three NFL season before splitting his time between the box role he had settled into and free safety when Devin McCourty retired last offseason.