The Steelers have a looming decision to make about whether or not to resign Bud Dupree. So should the Steelers resign Dupree or not? Let’s offer some arguments for and against.
When the Steelers drafted Bud Dupree with the 22nd pick in the first round of the 2015 NFL draft, I really did not know much about him. I had watched Kentucky games in 2015 but wasn’t necessarily focused on his play. Frankly, once we drafted him, all I was concerned with was how he would play as a member of the Steelers.
According to the official website of the Steelers, Dupree’s career stats are as follows: 64 games played, 49 games started, 154 total tackles, 26 sacks, and 1 INT. What’s interesting to me is that through Dupree’s first five seasons, he averaged 4 sacks per season. So far, through 10 games, Dupree has notched 6 sacks, averaging .6 sacks per game.
If Dupree maintains the pace on which he is currently, he will finish the 2019 season with 9.6 sacks, which would be a career-best total. It would be both fortunate and unfortunate if Dupree tallied a career-best in sacks. I say that because it would be simultaneously an advantageous and disadvantageous situation for the Steelers.
With Dupree’s pending free agency, we do have a decision to make regarding his future with the team. Arguments can be made for resigning him; arguments can be made against resigning him. Whatever the Steelers elect to do with Dupree, there will be fans who would be ‘all-in,’ so to speak, and there will be fans who will lament the signing.
Let’s take a look at three reasons why the Steelers should resign Dupree.
The Steelers former first-round pick is poised to have the best year of his career
Reason #1 why we should resign Dupree has to do with what was stated earlier in the discussion, which is this: Dupree is on pace to have the best season, at least in terms of sacks, of his career. If he achieves the best statistical totals of his career, why would we not try to resign him?
What that would mean to me is that Dupree would finally have become comfortable in the defense scheme. I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that it is difficult to find outside linebackers to fit the Steelers’ defensive scheme. Why is that? Because most college football teams do not run a 3-4 defense as we do, it is just tough to find a suitable scheme fits.
Reason #2 why we should resign Dupree is this: We drafted him, we cultivated him; therefore, we should resign him. Look, the Steelers, like any other team, draft a player in the first round because of the belief that the player will blossom into the ‘star’ that the team expected him to become.
With the way Dupree is playing right now, you have to believe he is becoming the ‘star’ the Steelers thought he would become. Honestly, I hope he is becoming a budding ‘star,’ pardon the pun; otherwise, we wasted a first-round pick on him.
Reason # 3 why we should resign Dupree is this: There exists a lack of depth and experience at the outside linebacker position. This may sound like a ‘lame’ reason for resigning Dupree, but the reality is the Steelers lack depth behind both Dupree and T.J. Watt.
I suppose we could draft an outside linebacker in next year’s draft, but would that player be better than Dupree? Perhaps. Would that player be more affordable in terms of the salary cap? No question. Would that player be more familiar with the system and more familiar with his teammates than Dupree? No way.
Let’s now take a look at three reasons why the Steelers should not resign Dupree.
The Steelers former first-round has not lived up to expectations
Reason #1 why the Steelers should not resign Dupree has to do with what was just stated above, which is this: He has not lived up to expectations, plain and simple. His 26 sacks over 64 career games equate to .40625 or .41 if you want to keep it to two decimal places.
For a former first-round pick and an outside linebacker in our defense scheme, that productivity, or lack thereof, is just not good enough to warrant a new contract. Dupree has 6 sacks thus far in the 2019 campaign. The sack total matches his career single-season total.
I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Dupree is on pace to have the best statistical season of his career in a contract year. So he wasn’t able to have his best season last year? If he had a career year the previous season, maybe the Steelers would have been inclined to work out a long-term deal.
Reason #2 why the Steelers should not resign Dupree is this: He is not even the best outside linebacker on the defense. In all fairness, Dupree is the second-best outside linebacker on the team. However, since Watt is still playing on his rookie deal, it would cost the Steelers far more to resign Dupree than it would be to draft an outside linebacker and to try to cultivate the backup outside linebackers currently on the roster.
Reason # 3 why the Steelers should not resign Dupree is this: Provided the Steelers were to offer Dupree a contract, would he even be the best free-agent outside linebacker on the market? Unless Dupree is willing to give us a ‘hometown’ discount, so to speak, the Steelers may be better served by allocating the salary cap dollars to another free agent linebacker or to more productive players who are due for contract extensions.
Look, I think it would be unfortunate if the Steelers did not at least try to resign Dupree since he was a first-round pick, but what makes us believe that Dupree is all of a sudden going to produce double-digit sacks like his running mate is producing? I don’t see it happening.
So we discussed some reasons why the Steelers should and should not resign Bud Dupree. I believe the decision will come down to our ability to objectively answer this question: Would the defense be better with or without Dupree? I don’t know the answer to that question. I don’t know that the Steelers, at this point, know the answer to that question. I can only hope we at least ask the question.