Pittsburgh Steelers: 5 Players who likely won’t return in 2020
By Samuel Teets
4. Bud Dupree, OLB
The Steelers want to keep Dupree, especially after the Kentucky product’s breakout season. Dupree struggled during the first four seasons of his career. While not a major bust like Jarvis Jones, Dupree couldn’t live up to his first-round expectations. Before 2019, Steelers fans viewed him similar to how the Chicago Bears view Leonard Floyd.
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Dupree completely remade his image this season. After Pittsburgh’s pass rush started slowly, Dupree, Cameron Heyward, and T.J. Watt engineered a total turnaround upfront. In the final 13 games of the season, Dupree recorded 10.5 sacks. He finished the season with 11.5 sacks, 68 tackles, and 17 quarterback hits, all of which are career single-season highs.
In 2018, Pittsburgh announced they would pick up Dupree’s fifth-year option. The move was somewhat controversial, but it paid off for the franchise. However, with his fifth year over, Dupree is heading to free agency.
The issue with Dupree’s free agency is Pittsburgh’s cap. The Steelers do not have a lot of money available. If the team wants Dupree back in 2020, they will need to create cap space. That may call for cutting ties with veterans or letting other free agents walk.
The Steelers can franchise tag Dupree or try to sign him outright. However, other teams with more cap space can offer Dupree a king’s ransom to join their franchise. If Pittsburgh wants Dupree, they have some roster work to do.