Bud Dupree is the perfect candidate for a one-year tag

I have no inside info or anything but I suspected that Butler was hands off on the lbs because Joey wanted to do things his own way and Butler felt Tomlin backed Porter. Not sure if that was the case but the year Porter is gone and Butler resumed his duties both Watt and Dupree went off. So I don't know.

 

So let’s say that was the case even though I don’t believe it. So we are assuming Butler stood by and watched as Porter and his teachings failed to show results. How long was Porter there and no improvement was being made and Butler sat idle? Even with ample time and opportunity and experience to inject his form of improvements. They just let JP do things his way? I find that very hard to believe. Watt was gonna go off anyway he has projected that throughout his career so far. Bud again I chalk up to possibly health and money. If you notice the biggest difference in Dupree from 2018 to the 2019 performance was his tenacity and effort. That had been lacking up until this point. I even made comments during the season that he was no longer standing around the piles ,he was in them. If anyone wants to go back and watch the tapes they will see a definite increase in his want to. Money is a huge motivator and health is critical to be successful. His health should be a concern because it has always been used as a excuse. That being the case he’s only been healthy enough to perform at a high level once so far.....

 

Sacks aren't everything, there's FF, QB hits and pressures, TFL, and playing the run. It's not your money, so why are you worried about how much he makes?

 

Wrong, the Steelers don't have a first round pick to find Dupree's replacement .

 

That's what the Steelers always seem to do push the money down the road, their way keeps them competitive.

 

Nope you are right they don't thanks I just started following the Steelers today..........

Hmmmm maybe a trade up into the first.....

 

8-8 is competitive???????? Missing the playoffs is competitive????? You and I have a different meaning of competitive

 

They were 1 game away from the playoffs the last 2 seasons, they haven't bottomed out and become the Cleveland Browns.

 

Colbert is already on record saying it’s a deep OLB class. They may not have to go into the 1st round to find a suitable replacement. Funny Dupree was selected in the 1st round and did not play like it until this year. We had to live with that for 4 years so why would a 2nd round pick be expected to come in and pick up where Dupree left off. Why couldn’t the new kid get the same opportunities playing with a bunch of other really good players on defense that Dupree did? Where someone is drafted doesn’t indicate whether they would be successful ,not all the time. A 2nd round OLB would have a pretty low bar Dupree set as a 1 st rounder to step over...that’s for sure.

 

stelersrule has a point. They missed they playoffs last season because they lost their quarterback for the season in Week 2. Then they lost his backup, who never really seemed to get back on track when he returned.

Even with that, the Steelers have been alive for the playoffs going into the final week of the regular season the last two years. I wouldn't say they were good, but they were competitive. Last season they did it without Roethlisberger.

 

The argument was that just as the Steelers could draft Hargrave's replacement in the third round, they could draft Dupree's replacement. If they let Dupree go, they need that replacement now. You were the one arguing that they could take a guy to step right in. That he might need that same time to develop is even more reason why it was smart to keep Dupree for one more season. Then they could draft his replacement now, but give the guy a full season before he has to step into the starting lineup.

 

Smh did I say we were the freakin clowns no. We are far from competitive and if you think different that is fine. But at some point pushing money forward isn’t going to work and I think it showed last year. We have hit an all time low or should I say high with Ben and his 41m cap hit. Come on 6 I like to think you are better than this. 41mil. Man

 

I hear ya man a few people are missing the point. Yes I know we don’t have a first that wasn’t the issue. The statement was made we got digger in the 3rd we can do it again. My response to that was turning it around but using bud as an example. It isn’t as easy as saying we done it before we can do it again. If that was the case we would be picking an AB every year in the 6th.

 

I've never heard, read or witnessed Butler getting worked up about anything. He seems to be the go along to get along type. So then you have Porter who respects him but wants to do things his own way and seems to have Tomlin's ear. So Butler gives Porter his orders and Joey ignores them what is Butler going to do? He sees Porter cozying up to Tomlin, has read some fringe beat writers talk about how Tomlin was stuck with first DL and because of a handshake deal now Butler. I mean if he complains he looks like a whinny baby, if he contradicts Porter it causes locker room tension. So he covers the gaps on defense as best he can and tows the line. Not much more a guy can do. Again maybe that's just how I see it but Butler had some outstanding units as just a position coach and when he got promoted they dropped off, why? What changed? Like I said I don't know.

 

There’s a lot of hypotheticals to unpack there. Tomlin has known Butler a lot longer than he’s known JP. They used to coach together before Pittsburgh. So what is it exactly you think Butler did now that he had the slash/OLB tag placed on him that he couldn’t do as the DC? The coordinators are a step up from position coaches and I doubt Butler sat by and watched JP fail because he’s worried about the relationship between JP and MT. They’re supposed to be in the business of winning games. Butlers ability as a DC seemed to drop off because of talent and the fact he was trying to marry his scheme to that talent. Now that he has superior talent to work with he can make his scheme work. The knock on Butler has always been his inability to match scheme with what he had for talent . 8 first rounders certainly helped. So did TOs and health with Tuitt being the only major injury....

Back to JP I don’t know if you guys remember but there was a rumor of dissension in the locker room. JP was being accused of pitting the O vs D. I’m thinking that played a major role in his release. Many of the LBs also came out after and praised JP as a coach, something they didn’t have to do as he was already on his way out. You can have your opinion but mine is still money,money,money.

 

....and I’ll take a TB to go please....

 

As I said, Terrell has Minkah to thank for that. Since the CBA in 2011, teams who have had multiple First Round Picks from the same class have not been on the same team in their second contract. One reason or another, it simply does not happen.


Terrell's inability to generate turnovers forced Tomlin's hand. Minkah is from the same class. Therefore, Terrell's days in Pittsburgh are numbered barring some EXTREME circumstances.

 

Dupree doesn't play like a 1st rounder. We could find his replacement tomorrow. He's really nothing special other than his measurements.

 

That isn't the same thing at all. It is a hell of a lot more likely you can get a quality edge rusher in the first round or a very good nose tackle in the third than it would be to get an All-Pro receiver in the sixth round.

 

If there were things in Dupree's technique that needed to be fixed, yes, Butler should have stepped in sooner. A good defensive coordinator would do that regardless of what the position coach thought. Of course, Butler isn't a very good defensive coordinator, so maybe he chose to stay out of Porter's way.

Butler is a good outside linebacker's coach, so maybe putting more focus on that got him to help Dupree more. Or maybe Dupree was getting competing messages from Butler and Porter and that messed him up.

Then again, maybe the departure of Porter had little to do with Dupree's improvement. Maybe he just needed to rush the passer more. Maybe he needed the motivation of the contract year to push him. Maybe that helped him condition differently, which allowed him to stay healthier than he had in the past. Maybe it was the improved defense around him.

The point is that most of the factors that helped Dupree step his game up in 2019 will still be there for 2020. His detractors keep saying he needed a contract year to get going. Guess what 2020 is for him? Yup. It's a contract year. In fact, it is an even bigger opportunity because this time, the Steelers won't be tagging him again because the price would be way too high.

 

He had a nice year I’m not taking that away from him. So far though he’s shown that 20% of the time. No I don’t buy his run stopping and all that go look at those numbers as well before last year, all sub par. No one is arguing he doesn’t have the incentive to do it again. Some people are questioning whether he will. Last year guarantees nothing so it’s nothing but a assumption at this point that he will. If he happens get injured that’s part of the game as well since it’s been used as a excuse before when he hasn’t performed up to where he should. TJ stepped in day 1 and has been better than Dupree’s first 4 years.

 

He played like a first rounder last season, I don't know what games you were watching. The Steelers disagree with you because they tagged him, yeah they will find his replacement with no first round pick .

 

Yeah sorry we didn't go out and sign snap Fackrell and pop for cheap to make you armchair GMs happy, the Steelers did what they think is best only losing one key starter from the defense in Hargrave. I don't count Barron he sucks, good riddance.