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

If they don't franchise tag him, he's gone. Maybe they tag him to buy time to work out a new deal, but Dupree is definitely gone if he hits the open market. If they are actually serious about keeping him, they will tag him. Once they choose not to do that, they lose their best leverage in negotiations.

In short, the minute the tag is out of play, Dupree becomes more expensive.

You can't sign everybody. That is why the best option is a one-year tag. Spend that year looking for his replacement, then he is off the cap for 2021 and they can put that money toward those other guys.

Also, I'm not even a little worried about Smith-Schuster in that conversation right now. Given the season he just had, he should not be a priority right now. Heyward is 30. As much as I love his game, I don't think he's getting another monster contract in Pittsburgh. DeCastro isn't an issue yet. He is under contract through the end of 2021. Fitzpatrick is under team control for three more seasons if you figure in the fifth-year option, though I doubt the Steelers want it to come to that. He is a problem for 2021 or 2022. Watt is the primary long-term concern right now. My guess is they try to lock him up after next season knowing they still have the leverage of the fifth-year option for 2021. (Which they will commit to, of course.)

 

Report: Steelers Expected to Franchise Tag Bud Dupree

Noah Strackbein

PITTSBURGH -- A move many anticipated, the Steelers are reportedly expected to franchise tag Bud Dupree for the 2020 season.

Dupree headed into the offseason as an unrestricted free agent the Steelers wanted to keep around. Head coach Mike Tomlin said in his Week 17 press conference that retaining Dupree this offseason was a "priority." Earlier this year, both Kevin Colbert and Art Rooney II backed Tomlin's statement on wanting to get Dupree back.

"We'd like to have Bud back, no question about it," Rooney said. "We will do our best to make it happen."

If the Steelers do tag Dupree, it's not a short-term plan. Colbert said at the NFL Combine that the plan is to have Dupree "finish his career as a Pittsburgh Steeler."

"Bud created a great decision for us because he had a great season," Colbert said. "That’s exciting. Where we go with that, who knows? He’s getting a feel for what a market may be. We’re getting a feel for where a market may be. We’re getting a feel for what our (salary) cap might be."

Dupree is expected to make north of $16 million this season under the franchise tag. The former first-round pick recorded his first double-digit sack season with 11.5 sacks and four forced fumbles.

https://www.si.com/nfl/steelers/news/steelers-expected-franchise-tag-bud-dupree

 

Signing him then signing watt will eat a ton of money down the road. Say goodbye to some others at some point.

 

Ya but, Ben's about done ( that's the huge one ), I think Pouncey is done...I would cut him now, Foster done, Chick, probably Barron, maybe McDonald...OL is gonna look very different in a few years... It's ALWAYS whoa is me, but they'll be alot of changes, always is...plus the cap keeps going up

 

Lot of money tied up in one position as well. Curious to see what Baltimore decides to do with Judon. They have 30 mil. and Judon is the better player. If they can affiliate to let him walk so can we with Dupree. Tag and trade should be explored as well.

 

I wonder where they will come up with the money for Watt, Minkah,Jujuj and others?
Not sold on franchise tag for Dupree. He had 1 good season, where was he the other 4?

 

I’m not picking on the OP here but this phrase is dumber than a box of rocks. It’s saying a definite maybe or maybe not. WTF

 

Yeah not exactly groundbreaking news. It’s been regurgitated over and over the last month or so.

 

Agreed, typically they tag with the intent of going long term, or to fill a short term gap (Max Starks). Sometimes it works, some times not (Bell).

 

its just like the coronavirus they have it locked up airtight or nearly airtight, there could be a leak but not one that could be threatening but its mostly airtight obviously

 

I think it should be to fill a short-term gap. I don't want to see them give Dupree a long-term deal with Watt due to get paid some time in the next year and Fitzpatrick not far behind.

 

I doubt that Smith-Schuster is a top priority right now, but putting the franchise tag on Dupree most likely doesn't have anything to do with long-term money for those guys because they would only be committed to Dupree for one season. Unless Smith-Schuster is willing to take a contract nowhere near what people expected him to get after 2018, they aren't even considering locking him up until after the 2020 season, if at all.

 

Cam heyward will be due as well.

 

They’ll probably extend him before the season begins, but after the OLB situation is cleared up. I love Cam but I have an uneasy feeling that we might be sitting here in two or three years time lamenting the monster extension they are about to give him. He might never have a season like 2019 again.

 

Cam has been a steady Eddie of good seasons. Tuitt on the other hand has not. Alualu has been a very good free agent because of tuitt. As soon as possible I would move Tuitt off the books. We can't right now, he costs us a bundle. Good player but can't make a full season, especially at that type of money.

 

Yeah well at least he’s been a consistent and sometimes dominant force for us for years. If there’s any talk of giving Mr 20% a multi year deal ,I would say Heyward deserves fair compensation for his value and performance.

 

Oh Cam deserves to be paid no doubt about it and he will hopefully retire as a Steeler but he will be 31 shortly and might start to decline in the coming years is all I am saying. Hopefully he continues to be a force in to back end of his career. Age would be my one and only concern there.

It’s a shame Tuitt is injury prone, especially when they are about to lose Hargrave and Alualu is entering his last year. And yeah they gave Tuitt a tonne of money upfront meaning it’s impossible to move on. If they had a choice they might keep Javon over him.

 

It will be crucial to get some depth to get these guys less snaps per game. Buggs is a start but we need at least one more.

 

Just some food for thought here, this could run on for awhile if we tag Bud:

Keeping Dupree in the fold for 2020 is among the team's top offseason priorities. Look for the Steelers to try to sign Dupree to a new deal, but if they can't, he will most likely play the 2020 season under the franchise tag. If the two sides can't come to terms on a long-term deal by March 10, Dupree will be franchise tagged, which would give the two sides until 4 p.m. on July 15 to come to terms on a new contract.

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/...ecard-nfl-draft-news-latest-updates-and-more/

 

https://steelersdepot.com/2020/03/rfa-tender-for-mike-hilton-may-be-difficult-to-swing-for-steelers/

 

IDK when I read this and he says the Steelers have not been in such a bind since the last CBA agreement I have to wonder. We are up against the cap every year and it wasn't to long ago we needed to cut players just to get under the cap before the new year started. IMO some writers just want to blow things up worse then they are, are we in cap hell yeah but we always are......jmo.

 

Well maybe when you consider the 16 + mil. needed to keep Dupree and all the other key RFAs we need to sign to which we really have no replacements for ,it’s more dire than usual. If you think about the cuts that need to be made as well just to get the money needed for Dupree never mind the RFAs. Barron and McDonald although making nice coin aren’t really easy cuts. Foster and Chickillo are the easiest cuts and Ben might have something to say about Foster. A new CBA fixes most but when you factor in the current situation as is. IMO it’s worse than in years past....

 

You are missing my point we are like this almost every year are we not? This in not new news we have to make moves every season just to find money. My point is this guys isn't saying anything new and to say this is the worst we have been since the last CBA talks is wrong, a few years ago we were OVER the cap and had to make moves before the new year started.

As for the whole Bud tag and the restricted players, do you think we are going to tag Bud and be done? Lets think about that no matter what we have to find replacements for these guys if we don't keep them. So we need to free up money if we keep them or not. The thought of well if we sign Bud will stop us from making moves. No matter what we will need these guys replaced even at vet min will still be a few mil, also add 5 mil for the draft class. So you see people can point out we have no money but in the end money will have to be freed up cause teams have to have a 53 man roster.........

 

With no 1st round pick and only a presumed 3rd round comp pick isn't it more like 3 and a half for the draft class?

 

Man I have no idea does it matter if it is 3.5 or 5mil? I am using 5 as a base in the point I am trying to make.