Steelers rumors: Pittsburgh interested in reunion with Bud Dupree
By Tommy Jaggi
We know that the Pittsburgh Steelers are under the direction of a new general manager, but Omar Khan himself admitted that he was going to closely resemble Kevin Colbert in many ways. One of those ways could be looking to sign former players who have had success with the Steelers in the past.
As soon as we heard that the Tennessee Titans would be releasing Bud Dupree following the start of the new league year, we were quick to write about why Pittsburgh could look to bring him back. The latest Steelers rumors suggest that this could be more than just a rumbling.
NFL Insider Josina Anderson of CBS Sports believes that the Steelers have preliminary interest in bringing Dupree back to the team if they feel he is healthy and ready to go.
I’m told the #Steelers have preliminary interest in bringing back Edge Rusher Bud Dupree if they deem “he’s healthy,” a source said. Dupree’s name has definitely come up in Pitt. We’ll see if they end up together once he sorts out his market following his release from Tennessee.
— JosinaAnderson (@JosinaAnderson) March 16, 2023
Dupree's heath is indeed a big factor here, as the former Steelers first-round pick back in 2015 hasn't played more than 11 games in a season dating all the way to 2019. Still, there's plenty of reason to trust that the team could have an interest in his return here.
Steelers need an upgrade with EDGE depth
While the team's connection to Bud Dupree seems so obvious, it doesn't mean that the Steelers desperately need to sign this particular player. What they truly need is a major upgrade in terms of depth on the edge.
Last year, Malik Reed was a colossal disappointment when filling in for T.J. Watt and backing up both Watt and Highsmith. Though it shouldn't be hard to find an upgrade, that player doesn't necessarily have to be Dupree.
Assuming that his medicals do check out at this point and he's ready to go, I certainly don't have an issue with the Steelers bringing him back. While the defense looks a little different than it did when he left, he's got familiarity with much of the coaching staff and would fit back in with ease.
At 30 years old and now with an extensive injury history, I can't imagine the market will be buzzing for teams to sign him, which means that Pittsburgh might be able to get him on a pretty cheap deal at this point. However, this is a decision they might want to leave until after the NFL Draft.
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Dupree doesn't play special teams, and if the Steelers think they can find a better backup edge defender to spell Watt and Highsmith of snaps, then they shouldn't pigeonhole themselves by signing their former first-round pick this early. Whatever Pittsburgh decides to do, let's just hope they have a better insurance policy for T.J. Watt this coming season.