It's an important offseason for the Pittsburgh Steelers. While Head Coach Mike Tomlin was able to miraculously keep his above-.500 streak alive, it was still a disappointing season. The black and gold finished 9-8, just missing out on the postseason after the Miami Dolphins defeated the New York Jets in Week 18. Now, the team faces an important free agency period, along with the 2023 NFL Draft.
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On the defensive side of the ball, the outside linebackers are the strength of this team. TJ Watt had an injury-plagued 2022 campaign, but he still generated 5.5 sacks in 10 games. He's also the reigning 2021 AP Defensive Player of the Year. You get it, he's one of the best defenders in football. On the opposite side, Alex Highsmith had the breakout season that everyone was waiting for.
In just his third season, he finished sixth in the NFL in sacks with 14.5. Highsmith also added five forced fumbles, which was tied for the best in 2022. While he was snubbed from the Pro Bowl, the Steelers now have arguably the best OLB duo in the league heading into next season. Beyond the two though, the depth is scarce. As we saw when Watt missed seven games, the backups left a lot to be desired.
Malik Reed didn't become the quality acquisition they expected when he was traded from the Denver Broncos to the Steelers. In 14 games, which included two starts, Reed had just one sack. Out of 119 qualifying edge defenders, Pro Football Focus ranked Reed tied for 70th with a 63.8 overall grade. He is an unrestricted free agent now, and GM Omar Khan will need to find some depth behind Highsmith and Reed.
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Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox wrote an article on Monday about potential cap casualties this offseason. Former Steelers Linebacker Bud Dupree was one of the eight names listed. After six seasons in Pittsburgh, he signed a five-year, $82.5 million contract in 2021 with the Tennessee Titans. Injuries have held him back in his two seasons with Tennessee thus far, as he's played in 11 games each of the two years, missing a total of 12 games.
While he has three years left on his deal, as it runs through 2025, he could possibly be cut. His cap hit over the next three years is around $60 million in total. According to Knox, releasing Dupree would save the Titans just under $11 million. On a team that desperately needs to shore up some cap space this offseason, cutting ties with Dupree makes a lot of sense.
If he were to be on the free agent market though, perhaps he would be interested in a reunion with the Steelers. It may be a bit unrealistic, as he would know that he would be a backup in the black and gold. Dupree still has enough talent to start for a lot of teams across the league. Health is his biggest concern, which will certainly limit the amount of money he would be able to get.
Former Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Bud Dupree (48) practices at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex preparing for a Week 2 matchup against the Denver Broncos on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2020, in Pittsburgh, PA. (Photo Credit: Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers)
On the contrary to Reed, Dupree actually rated a bit worse according to PFF's metrics. He was ranked 89th amongst edge rushers in 2022, which included a horrible 47.1 rating in coverage. That ranked 10th-worst among edge defenders. The rest of his game was more middle of the pack, but he still wasn't the 11.5-sack guy that he was in 2019. In 22 games with the Titans, Dupree has seven sacks, eight tackles for loss and 17 quarterback hits. Those aren't numbers worthy of $83 million.
If Dupree hit the market, would you be interested in a possible reunion? What is the most that you would pay him, considering that he'd be a backup? Is OLB depth a major need this offseason? Share your thoughts in the comments!
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