For The Steelers, “It’s Highsmith Time” Even If A Popular Star Returned To the Roster Says Former Player

It’s that time of year again that Pittsburgh Steelers fans beg and clamor for every free agent on the market. This is especially true when it comes to bringing back once-beloved players. With the fate of former Steelers outside linebacker, Bud Dupree, being up in the air, fans and analysts have begun the “what if” talk. 

However, according to former player Arthur Moats, Dupree might not fit in the way fans think he should. On his show, The Arthur Moats Experience, Moats discusses how Dupree might fit in if he was to return.  

Should The Steelers Try To Get Bud Dupree? 

The Steelers selected Dupree in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft and he began as a backup behind Moats. He quickly established himself as a starter and took over for Moats in 2016. Despite suffering some injuries, the Steelers picked up the fifth-year option on Dupree in 2018 and then franchise tagged him in 2020. In 2021, he left Pittsburgh when he got a large contract offer from the Tennessee Titans. 

Now Dupree is facing being a cap casualty for the Titans. It seems likely that the team will cut Dupree to save approximately $10 million in cap space, but when he will be cut remains to be seen. It also creates an interesting conundrum for teams that may wish to pick up Dupree as Moats points out:

“When I watch him on tape, can he still play at a high level? Yes. But at the same time, he has been banged up. When he left, he was hurt with a torn ACL and he hasn’t been really healthy. You can see him out there and I still see the burst, I still see the get off power, he still plays with great excitement.”

Moats points out that the Steelers need depth at OLB, but are not desperate for big play-makers. They already have Alex Highsmith and TJ Watt. However, after Watt’s pec injury last year, we saw that we need a better backup situation. Moats thinks that Dupree fits the bill:

“We know he’s still capable, but we’re not going to pay him like that when you have Alex Highsmith. Both of those guys are adult players and I think when you pair either one of them next to TJ, they gonna go off. But it’s Highsmith time right now.”

He questions whether a backup role is something that Dupree would be amenable to, knowing that it does ding the ego a bit when you have played at the high level he has. 

“Bud had this opportunity, but they did the fifth-year deal and then he went and broke the bank to go to Tennessee. That’s what he was supposed to do. For Highsmith, I think he’s going to get compensated really nicely. Because of what he brings to the table, him being homegrown and the consistency with not the injury history, not any off-field stuff, nothing really negative to say about him.”

It isn’t just as simple as who is the better athlete. Moats points out that he thinks that Dupree is overall a better athlete than Highsmith, but Highsmith is still the better player right now and that is what is more important. Moats thinks that playing backup would be a good thing for Dupree, whose stock is down due to injuries if he can get over the mental, and financial, part of not being a starter. 

“If Bud comes to be the third guy, number one I think it’s great for the Steelers, but I think it is great for Bud too. It takes that pressure off him while he’s trying to get back healthy because he still wasn’t healthy at the end of last season. This would give him a chance to ease back into this thing, get some situations where you’re set up to succeed. When I think of Bud with TJ and Highsmith as a rotation, I’m like this is crazy.”

Do you agree with Moats? Do you think that Dupree fits in nicely behind Watt and Highsmith? Do you think there is any chance that Dupree would consider taking a deal like this? If Dupree hits the open market, what kind of deal do you think he will find? Click to comment below. 

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