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Source: Patriots placing transition tag on Kyle Dugger; what it means
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 now 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.
A source told the Herald last week at the NFL Scouting Combine that Dugger was expected to garner an average salary of $12-to-$16 million per year. His $13.81 million salary falls in line with that amount.
Dugger, who will turn 28 later this month, has 343 career tackles with nine interceptions, three touchdowns, 20 pass breakups, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, 2.5 sacks, 17 tackles for loss and nine QB hits in 61 games with 52 starts.
The Patriots also have Jabrill Peppers under contract at safety. Jalen Mills is set to hit free agency next week, and the Patriots released veteran safety Adrian Phillips last month.
Dugger’s tag will reduce the Patriots’ salary cap space from their previous figure of over $100 million. Miguel Benzan, or @PatsCap on X, projects the Patriots to have $87,696,056 million remaining in salary cap room.
Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo and de facto general manager Eliot Wolf both said last week that keeping Dugger and Onwenu was a priority for the team.
“I would say last year going into the season there were some questions about, ‘can he communicate and all those…’ He squashed all of that this year,” Mayo said of Dugger. “He did a fantastic job in his new role without having Devin there.
“So you definitely want those pieces to stay. You develop through the draft. So if those guys stay, obviously, they’ve been raised here and they can help push the culture forward.”
“We definitely want to keep Mike and Kyle,” Wolf said. “We’re hopeful to continue to work with with Kyle’s agent and Mike to make that happen.”
The Patriots had extended an offer to Dugger, who was expected to test free agency before receiving the transition tag. Now Dugger and the team can continue to work towards agreeing to a contract extension that would keep him with the Patriots long-term.
The Patriots last used a tag in 2020 on guard Joe Thuney. He played the entire season on the franchise tag before departing for the Chiefs in free agency the next season. They also used the franchise tag in 2002 on kicker Adam Vinatieri, 2003 on safety Tebucky Jones, 2005 on Vinatieri, 2007 on cornerback Asante Samuel, 2009 on quarterback Matt Cassel, 2010 on defensive tackle Vince Wilfork, 2011 on guard Logan Mankins, 2012 on wide receiver Wes Welker and 2015 on kicker Stephen Gostkowski.
Dugger is the first NFL player to receive the transition tag since running back Kenyan Drake was tagged in 2020. Only four players have received the transition tag this decade.
So you’re saying there’s a chance? Despite an abysmal start to the 2026 season, the Boston Red Sox remain in the mix for a playoff spot. At least according to FanGraphs, who gives the club a 27.1% chance of reaching the postseason.
Boston’s likely path to October means winning the wild card. FanGraphs gives the Red Sox a 26.1% chance of winning an American League wild card. The team currently sits threes games back of the third and final wild card, despite a record of 25-33.
Don’t look for a division title this year in Beantown. FanGraphs gives the Red Sox a 1% chance of winning the AL East. Which makes sense, since the team currently sits in last place, 11.5 games behind the first-place Tampa Bay Rays.
But SI’s Tom Verducci and Will Laws thinks Boston has a much tougher chance of making the playoffs. In their deep dive of the postseason, the pair came up with what they call the “Line of Doom.” According to their research, a team that starts “no better than 23–31 and your season is almost over only one-third of the way through the schedule.” Here’s why.
“In the wild card era (since 1995), only one team made the postseason starting with less than 22 wins in the first 54 games, the 2005 Astros (20–34). Of the 231 teams to start 23–31 or worse, only seven made the playoffs—once every 33 times,” Verducci and Laws note.
“Since the postseason field expanded in 2022, 31 teams began 23–31 or worse. Only one, the 2024 Mets (22–32), made the playoffs. That leaves such slow starters with a 1 in 31 chance—virtually the same as the larger sample size,” the pair add.
“The fact is one-third of the season does a good job separating pretenders from contenders. And as the calendar flips to June, understand that the playoff spots won’t change very much. In the four seasons with 12 playoff spots up for grabs, teams in playoff position when May ended kept a playoff spot 73% of the time—35 of 48 teams,” Verducci and Laws conclude.
So what does this have to do with the Red Sox, you ask? It’s Boston’s record after 54 games: 23-31. The “Line of Doom.”
More MLB: Red Sox Legend Backs ‘Worried’ John Henry
What should have been a quiet off-day for the Boston Red Sox has devolved into chaos.
Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow was the subject of a profile article in The Boston Globe that didn’t paint a sunny picture of his tenure, including a tough nugget about his relationship with legend Theo Epstein. But Breslow’s harshest critic of the day was probably the father of one of his ex-players.
St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Hunter Dobbins made his second major league appearance on Sunday since being traded from the Red Sox in the deal that brought Willson Contreras to Boston. After Dobbins pitched well and featured his sinker more than expected, his father Lance Dobbins took to social media to excoriate the Red Sox and Breslow.
Lance Dobbins’ latest comments harsher than the first
We covered Lance Dobbins’ initial comments from late Sunday night that seemed to be directed at the Red Sox organization already on Boston Red Sox On SI. But on Monday evening, the elder Dobbins reentered the fray to absolve pitching coach Andrew Bailey of any blame, effectively throwing Breslow under the bus.
When asked if Breslow replacing Chaim Bloom as chief baseball officer led to Hunter throwing less sinkers and fewer four-seam fastballs in the Red Sox organization, Lance responded with this:
Yes! In Bailey’s defense he wanted the addition, but people behind computers make those decisions. The coaching staff is literally working with one hand tied behind their backs. Driveline is the answer to everything, but winning games! Ask yourself, why are so many of our guys…
— Lance Dobbins (@lpdobbins) June 1, 2026
“Yes! In Bailey’s defense he wanted the addition, but people behind computers make those decisions. The coaching staff is literally working with one hand tied behind their backs. Driveline is the answer to everything, but winning games!
“Ask yourself, why are so many of our guys always injured (pitchers and position players), it’s not by pure bad luck. Pitchers are having constant issues and hitters are always hurting hands and wrist. It’s not a league wide problem. It has to be fixed or we’ll never win because half of our starters will always be on the IL.”
That last point has to hit home for the Red Sox because star outfielder Roman Anthony (who debuted in the majors a couple of months after Hunter Dobbins) has now had two long-lasting injuries that occurred on swings — an oblique strain in September that ended his season prematurely, and a partially torn finger ligament that has held him out of action since May 4, with no end in sight.
Monday just wasn’t a good day in the public relations department for the Red Sox front office, or for Breslow in particular. But it’s worth noting that Dobbins has only made two appearances in a Cardinals uniform, allowing four earned runs in eight innings, taking a loss and earning a save.
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Scenic Six
Seasonal train rides, Bristol’s historic Fourth of July celebration, Duck Tour discounts, and more.
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Welcome back to Scenic Six.
I hope everyone had a lovely holiday weekend. We visited friends in Wells, Maine and then explored nearby Ogunquit (recently named the best beach town in New England by Boston.com readers). Though the weather wasn’t the best, outdoor dining was still hopping and the streets were full of people. It’s always a good vibe in Ogunquit.
This week, I’m writing about two New England towns named among the most welcoming in America, a first-of-its-kind remote terminal for Logan Airport, the oldest continuous 4th of July celebration in the nation, Boston Duck Tour discounts, and more.
These New England towns roll out the welcome mat
If you’re looking for a happy getaway, two New England towns were just named on a World Atlas list of 12 of the most welcoming towns in America: Bar Harbor, Maine and Burlington, Vermont. Both are hosting free festivals and other community events this summer, adding even more reasons for a Maine or Vermont escape this season.
Need a ride? Consider a seasonal train
I’m a big fan of train travel because it’s relaxing and stress free. The CapeFlyer between Boston and Cape Cod resumed this past weekend and the Berkshire Flyer between the Berkshires and New York City starts back up on June 12 (with expanded service).
Attend the oldest continuous 4th of July celebration in America
Believe it or not, Independence Day is just around the corner and one of the best celebrations in America is in Bristol, R.I., according to USA Today. The publication just named the Bristol Fourth of July Celebration among the best 4th of July celebrations in the nation (fun fact: this will be its 241st year).
Travel tips:
- Logan Airport passengers flying JetBlue and Delta Air Lines can soon skip airport security lines and go straight to their gate by using a first-of-its-kind remote terminal in Framingham, opening June 1.
- Celebrate America’s 250th birthday at Weir Farm National Historical Park in Ridgefield, Conn., the only national park dedicated to American painting, on June 14 (Flag Day) by attending the free event Art is Revolutionary. Guests will enjoy live music, plein air demonstrations, open house tours, refreshments, and art making activities.
Deals and steals:
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- Celebrate the 140th anniversary of Basin Harbor Resort & Boat Club in Vergennes, Vermont by booking the Summer Starts Early package, which takes 25% off weekdays and 10% off weekends on three-night stays taking place through June 18.
- Taking a Boston Duck Tour? Save up to $10 per ticket on tours departing before 10 a.m. by using the discount code EARLYDUCK. The discount is valid for online purchases only.
- Traveling by train? Save up to 60% off eight tickets on Amtrak when booking Amtrak Share Fares by using the code V291 on the Amtrak app. A two-day advance purchase is required.
I’ll leave you with this photo I took of the sunrise in Wells, Maine.
Where have you traveled lately? Please share your photos by sending them to [email protected] and they may be featured in an upcoming Scenic Six newsletter.
Whether you’re traveling this week or planning your next escape, enjoy the journey.
— Kristi
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