Trades the Pittsburgh Steelers should pursue during the new league year
Edge rushers
I am not big on trading Pittsburgh Steelers edge rusher Bud Dupree, after all, he is coming off his best season in the NFL since being drafted by the team in the 2015 draft. Two questions need to be asked though. The first, can the team rely on the former Kentucky Wildcat star for years to come? The second, is the edge rusher worth the $15.89 million franchise tag?
I believe the answer is yes to both of those questions, but due to the Steelers salary cap situation in 2020, Pittsburgh should look to deal Dupree. This leads me to two options on the Jacksonville Jaguars, and the Tennessee Titans that I find fitting for the Pittsburgh Steelers. They may not come as a bargain but could be considered trade steals still.
Both Josh Allen of the Jacksonville Jaguars and Harold Landry of the Tennessee Titans put up similar numbers to Bud Dupree in 2019 as seen below.
| 2019 Stats | Sacks | TFL | FF | QB Hits | Total Tackles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bud Dupree | 11.5 | 16 | 4 | 17 | 68 |
| Josh Allen | 10.5 | 11 | 2 | 23 | 44 |
| Harold Landry | 9 | 12 | 1 | 14 | 68 |
Are the young edge rushers a better option than Bud Dupree?
Both Josh Allen and Harold Landry have elements to them that does make the two more attractive as an asset compared to Bud Dupree. They both are younger than Dupree, they transitioned into the NFL at a faster pace, I personally believe both have high ceilings, and they do not have consequential cap hits.
| Cap Hit | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bud Dupree | $15,828,000.00 | ||
| Josh Allen | $5,168,781.00 | $6,202,538.00 | $7,236,294.00 |
| Harold Landry | $1,836,461.00 | $2,142,538.00 |
Josh Allen and Harold Landry do have cons when being compared to Bud Dupree as well. Dupree was elite against the run last season, and he has longer NFL experience. Still, I believe Kevin Colbert should be active in trading Dupree to two of the suitors I named. The flexibility in cap space both Allen and Landry offer currently is much more fitting given the Pittsburgh Steelers’ current financial situation. Especially with Pittsburgh needing to extend contracts of young stars T.J. Watt, and JuJu Smith-Schuster following this upcoming season.
Bud Dupree’s contract would currently not put either Jacksonville or Tennessee over the cap. I believe that both teams would ask for a middle-round pick in addition to Bud Dupree in any sort of trade, but trade is manageable, to say the least. The Jacksonville Jaguars would more than likely ask for more in return. This is due to how effective Josh Allen was, even with only starting four games during his rookie season.