Why has DuPree not signed anywhere yet?

He might be better. Neither of those guys ever reached double digits in sacks. Highsmith had 14.5 last year even with Watt missing a big chunk of the season.

 

I was mad when Worilds retired early. That dude was emerging at OLB. Steelers wouldn't have had to draft Jones if he signed a 2nd contract.

 

Agreed. He wasn't a superstar, but he was certainly better than Jones.

 

i agree

Just when All Worilds reached his zenith, he hung it up!
I like Alex, a good Stiller!!

 

yep, this one really burned us, that is for sure.

 

Ramon foster talked about this yesterday on his show. He was texting with Dupree. Dupree says he wanted a one year prove it deal so he could hit the market again next year. The Steelers would only do a two year deal.

 

The Steelers should have bent on that one. Of course there is injury risk, but they could have gone into the draft a lot more solid at outside linebacker, allowing them to focus on bigger needs.

 

Especially when they seem to like one year deals

 

Right! A back up pass rusher is something they could do every year until they strike gold. At least with Bud, they know him, and he knew the roll he was going to play. If he was asking for the one year prove it deal then we get his best effort and he gets the exposure. It’s a win win…

This was a blunder on the front office unless there are compensation details that also played into it. Because DuPree said it was a very difficult decision to not sign here again.

Short of hitting on a draft pick, who are they going to get at this late stage that is going to possibly work out better? The dude fit.

 

“Compensation details”

This might of been it Steelers probably were finically in the ballpark for year one

But Dupree wanted a prove it deal so his expectations for year two probably did not match the Steelers

 

It’s going to be hard to convince me that they couldn’t find a way to get him on the team if they just relented to his one year want vs. their two year offer. He’s not such a massive get that they couldn’t have capitulated to get his best one year effort so he could shop himself again. Where is the loss here? Just dumb.

Again, unless they strike gold in the draft, it’s doubtful they will find a better option and fit in free agency. This worked like slipping on a nice boot you’ve worn in quite well for one last dance.

 

DuPree is One Way DuPree. That was stated by yours truly, early in this discussion. He wanted max $$ for his time. We were not going to pay it. Nor should we have. Good riddance. We got his best days. He would get 5-8 snaps a game here. Tomlin has NO CLUE how to rotate properly, he over promises and under delivers - ask other FA's that he has lured here. DuPree knows that too.

he took the $$ - I get it

next

 

Except that Bud has stated that is the length of the deal that was the factor. If it was money you’d think that would have been made clear.

It seems that he wanted one year to show other teams he still has starter abilities and THEN he’d try to cash a third bag.

Not going to argue the point about rotating in a more effective plan though. I still think James Harrison was correct about his non usage in his final year. He went over to the Cheatriots and had a hell of a game; and one that we could have used.

Oh well…

 

Lately, they have been going for two-year deals, but this really makes no sense to me. A one-year deal seems to make the most sense for both sides.

 

The contract he got wasn't that much money and the issue was the length of the deal, not the amount.

Also, Tomlin rotated Highsmith in with Dupree and Watt just fine in 2020. Dupree would have had to accept the No. 3 guy's snaps this time around, but that wasn't the problem, either.

 

HS was a rook, very different. DuPree was not a fit , I don't think - at all. Too many ego's. I am sure they are skeptical too of his knee

It comes down to value - DuPree and our FO obv were on diff pages. I don't think he has much left in the tank.

 

You can keep trying to argue these other angles all you like, but it was all about the length of the deal.

 

exactly.

https://www.bing.com/ck/a?!&&p=f834...S1mcmVlLWFnZW5jeS1jb250cmFjdC1kZXRhaWxz&ntb=1

 

I agree to an extent, but having him for more than one year gives them some leverage in
negotiations with highsmith.

 

i think so does getting a draft pick in here at that spot too.

 

What???
They rotate way more than 5-8 snaps just on one side a game. That is something Tomlin has always done on the D line, and outside pass rushers. The only time I've ever seen Him not was when He had James Harrison at the end, but I believe that was because of something else.