Steelers news: Bud Dupree being released by Titans, post-Combine mock draft, and more

Pittsburgh Steelers fans were hit with sensory overload on Monday. As fans attempt to soak in the most important notes and takeaways from the 2023 NFL Combine over the extended weekend, they were hit with some big news regarding a former first-round pick.

Omar Khan is expected to begin the busiest two-month stretch of his executive career, and he already has some very interesting decisions to mull over. Here's the latest Steelers news that could throw a curveball in the mix ahead of free agency.

Steelers news

On Monday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported that the Tennessee Titans are expected to release edge defender Bud Dupree. The former Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker signed a lucrative five-year, $82.5 million deal with the Titans in 2021, but he won't see the final three years of that contract after a disappointing two seasons in Tennessee.

This news wasn't totally unexpected, as Dupree was just not living up to lofty expectations. Now rumors out of the NFL Combine are that the Pittsburgh Steelers could pursue their former 2015 first-round pick when he's officially released.

Dupree would need to be willing to sign a much smaller deal as a rotational edge defender in Pittsburgh, but there might not be much of a market for a 30-year-old pass rusher who graded out poorly in each of the past two seasons. Dupree found some success with the Steelers in the past, so this makes for a very interesting scenario.

It's worth noting that Alex Highsmith is entering the final year of his rookie contract and is expected to break the bank with a sizeable contract in free agency if not re-signed by Pittsburgh.

More Steelers news

With the NFL Combine in the rearview mirror, many draft analysts are quick to conduct their post-Combine mock drafts. Recently, PFF's Trevor Sikkema and Connor Rogers of the NFL Stock Exchange Podcast posted a nearly two-hour video of their 2023 two-round mock draft.

Sikkema and Rogers had the Steelers going with Tennessee OT Darnell Wright in the first round followed by doubling up on Clemson players DT Bryan Bresee and LB Trenton Simpson in back-to-back picks. You can check out their full two-round mock on YouTube.

NFL news

It didn't take long for QB Derek Carr to find a new home. Shortly after being released by the Raiders, the New Orleans Saints made the veteran quarterback an offer that he couldn't refuse. Ian Rapoport confirms that Carr is signing a four-year deal with the Saints worth $150 million.

This massive contract includes a whopping $100 million in total guarantees. Some experts are already calling this one of the worst contracts in the NFL while others are arguing that his base salary will be a discount compared to what similar quarterbacks will be going for (Daniel Jones being one of them who is expected to cost even more in average annual earnings.

The latest deal by the Saints is a reminder of just how important the quarterback position is. Lacking a first-round pick this year because of a previous trade with the Eagles to move up for Chris Olave, New Orleans looked to free agency to fill the void at quarterback.