The Pittsburgh Steelers slapped a franchise tag on linebacker Bud Dupree earlier this month, preventing him from hitting the free-agent market.
While Dupree is currently under contract for just one year with the Steelers, the club does not seem to plan on him going anywhere next offseason:
“Bud Dupree has always been a priority,” general manager Kevin Colbert told Steelers team reporter Missi Matthews. “Our message has been consistently, ‘Hey Bud, if we use the franchise tag, our goal is to still sign you and get you locked up as a Steeler for the rest of your career,’ and that’s what we’ll continue to try to do.”
Dupree is coming off of a breakout 2019 campaign in which he played every game and racked up 68 tackles, 11.5 sacks, four forced fumbles and a couple of fumble recoveries.
However, it has not always been this easy for Dupree.
The 27-year-old, who played his collegiate football at the University of Kentucky, was originally selected by Pittsburgh in the first round (22nd pick overall) of the 2015 NFL Draft.
Dupree had high expectations coming in, but his first season was disappointing, as he managed just 26 tackles and four sacks. Then, the following year, injuries limited Dupree to seven games.
The Macon, Ga. native finally began to show some signs of life in 2017, finishing with 40 tackles and six sacks, but he showed little to no improvement in 2018, totaling 42 tackles and 5.5 sacks.
Given that Dupree was heading into a contract year, there was considerable pressure on him heading into this past season, but he delivered in a big way.
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