3 Potential Kyle Dugger Trade Partners Amid Contract Dispute

The New England Patriots are in the midst of a major transition that started in the front office and coaching staff and now continuing with the roster. The team will look entirely different up and down the roster next season and one of those names who could be out the door is veteran safety Kyle Dugger.

The second-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, Dugger is a developmental success story for the Patriots. A Division II standout in the draft, the homegrown talent has blossomed into a consistent and solid defensive back in the NFL.

Now that Dugger's rookie contract has expired, the Patriots placed the transition tag on him this offseason. This gives Dugger a one-year, $13.8 million placeholder deal until another team gives him a better deal, which gives New England a chance to match it if they want to keep him.

This, however, is not something the 28-year-old wants and he still hasn't signed it, according to Andrew Callahan of the Boston Herald.

This obviously opens him up to trade discussions. If the two sides can't find common ground, exploring trades and getting an asset in return instead of keeping a dissatisfied veteran around might be the best path the Patriots have.

Here are a few options if they go down that route.

Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens arguably have the best safety rotation in the league with both Kyle Hamilton and Marcus Williams having had excellent 2023 campaigns. So, the fit of Kyle Dugger may seem odd here.

But, the Ravens also play with three safeties more than any other team in the NFL and they just lost Geno Stone in free agency to the Cincinnati Bengals. They would love to have Dugger as Stone replacement.

Dugger may be overqualified and overpaid to be the third safety in the rotation, but it's not like the Ravens have other more clear and immediate needs. Baltimore already has one of the best passing defenses in the league and Dugger would allow them to continue that trend.

Baltimore not only has all of their picks in the first five rounds of the draft, but they also have an additional fourth-round pick from the Jets. They also have the cap space to bring Dugger in for next season without much maneuvering. The package Callahan described (a fourth-round pick) seems like a very reasonable offer that the Ravens can put forward.