5 players that could surprisingly be an option for the Bears in free agency
By Ryan Heckman
5. Kyle Dugger, S
This last one is an interesting situation, because the New England Patriots placed the transition tag on safety Kyle Dugger. It's different than the franchise tag in that Dugger still gets an opportunity to speak with other teams as though he was a free agent.
The biggest difference is, though, that New England has the right to match any deal offered to him by another team. So, if the Bears viewed Dugger as one of their top targets, they'd have to go hard after him in hopes that they make a steep enough offer and the Patriots decide not to match.
The Bears are also in a tough spot if they're trying to outbid the Patriots, because New England has the most cap space in the NFL right now at over $100 million freed up.
Dugger would be an interesting fit in Chicago, though, next to Jaquan Brisker. He's a do-it-all safety who is better suited in run defense rather than dropping back into coverage. Still, with Brisker and Dugger, you'd have a pair of guys who play extremely physical football and aren't afraid of contact.
Last season, Dugger racked up a career-high 109 tackles, plus tallied seven passes defensed, a pair of interceptions and five quarterback hits. His projected market value sits at $16.5 milliion annually.