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Bud Dupree Leaves Representation before Officially Hitting Free Agency

Woodley's 5th year, he only started 10 games, and still had 9 sacks and 13 QB hits, Bud in 16 games only had 2.5 more sacks and 4 more QB Hits.

5 years Woodley had 48 sacks 69 QB Hits 15 PD's 7 FF's 58TFL's
5 years Bud had 31.5 sacks 50 QB Hits 9 PD's 6 FF's 46TFL's

No comparison.

No comparison prior to their 5th year, I agree 100%. Fat Woodley couldn't make it a whole season in his fifth year, and never played a full season after that. He clearly didn't want to play football after that, he just wanted to eat and get paid.

From Season 5 on, I will go out on a limb and state Bud is the better player. He is quicker, and faster than Woodley. Plus his hands are great now. He didn't all the sudden play well for a FA contract, the dude can legit play now, he just took a longer time to develop.

Woodley's career after year 5:
In 4 seasons: 59 tackles 15 TFLs 24 QB Hits 10 sacks 3 PDs 2 FFs 2 FRs 1 INT

Bud can pass most of those numbers next year alone. Last year he already had higher tackles, TFLs, Sacks, and FFs than Woodley had in 4 YEARS. They were the same for PDs and FRs.
 
There is one more point I will make about signing Bud, and it's something not a lot of people think about:

Do you think Bud has room to improve?

That is what you pay a player on. I do think he has room to improve and get even better. With his skillset and killer Sparq, he hasn't come close to hitting his ceiling. Paired with Watt and getting better together could turn Bud into an animal. And if he does product like Watt, we will have him on the cheap.
 
There is one more point I will make about signing Bud, and it's something not a lot of people think about:

Do you think Bud has room to improve?

That is what you pay a player on. I do think he has room to improve and get even better. With his skillset and killer Sparq, he hasn't come close to hitting his ceiling. Paired with Watt and getting better together could turn Bud into an animal. And if he does product like Watt, we will have him on the cheap.

At what price Cope? Do we want to chance it with some ridiculous contract when we have guys like TJ and JuJu waiting in the wings to get theirs. I’m sorry, one year doesn’t do it for me. Yes, at the right price let’s say 13 mil per season with guaranteed 30 mil but we know he won’t take that. He’s most likely wanting at least the cap hit of 16 mil per and he’s not worth it. I know what I’m getting each year with TJ but. It with Bud.


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16 mil a year though? Ola and skipper rotate like the other poster said use that extra money to extend watt , Nelson, heyward also McDonald. Simply put you won’t find a better TE cheaper than him.
 
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I don't see Bud getting much better, he's 27. He may regress, after he gets paid, there's a chance that happens too. To many guys coming up, to pay Bud for what might be. If Bud wanted paid, maybe he should've had more than one good season, and he still ranks low in QB pressures.
Watt, Nelson, Cam, JuJu, Minkah, Oline all guys that need paid soon.
Tag him and make him prove this one season wasn't a fluke. There's a reason the Steelers didn't offer him an extension after his 4th season, he wasn't very good.
 
See Coryea touches on something I just cannot get past with Bud. His ranking in QB pressures is not good and that’s after five years of play you would think those numbers would be much better.


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They didn't have anyone adequately developed, including Bud heading into this past season really, so you never know what someone will do given the chance, especially opposite Watt. I do agree though, they will tag him.

I wasn't a fan of keeping Bud last year at that price and he proved me wrong. I wouldn't say he wasn't developed, though. We all knew he was a raw prospect coming in, so the first two years were a given that he wouldn't be as productive as we needed. By year three, you expected more. It wasn't until year four when they switched him to the right side when he started to make plays rather than look invisible on a weekly basis. This year they used Dupree and Watt more as pass rusher and less dropping into coverage. I don't know if he'll have a more productive year than this year, but I do think the coaching staff did not do a good job developing him and they clearly didn't play him to his strengths until this season.

Unfortunately, I don't see it that way. Bud the Dud did not start to adequately live up to the 1st round pick he was until this year. Other than that, he has been very pedestrian to put it mildly. In fact, I highly doubt he would have done anything this year without Watt on the other side! Though we have no one with game time experience (all because Tomlin can't rotate players in much), that doesn't mean that either Ola or Skipper can't be a good to great replacement for Bud. Hell, we lived at least 3 years pulling our hair out over Bud not being able to play the damn position, I'm sure we can give Ola or Skipper a couple years to develop. I look at it this way - what could Ola or Skipper look like in 5 years if given the same opportunity Dupree was given? How long did it take Harrison to see the field and look what we had with him! Opposite Watt, a rotation of Ola and Skipper will be just fine. I hope they let Dupree walk and message both Ola and Skipper, next man up - who wants it more?

The next play Ola makes in the regular season will be his first. I get he flashed in the preseason and we all want him to be a stud, but at least flash something in your opportunities during the regular season. Not sure I'm ready to say Ola and Skipper will be "just fine" when you depend on your pass rush for your defense to succeed.
 
At what price Cope? Do we want to chance it with some ridiculous contract when we have guys like TJ and JuJu waiting in the wings to get theirs. I’m sorry, one year doesn’t do it for me. Yes, at the right price let’s say 13 mil per season with guaranteed 30 mil but we know he won’t take that. He’s most likely wanting at least the cap hit of 16 mil per and he’s not worth it. I know what I’m getting each year with TJ but. It with Bud.


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And that's the rub. If he gets a contract, it won't be at the franchise limit for the life of his contract. He's not that type of player. $14M a year, I'd seriously consider. He has a monster on the other side of him, and he's effective as hell in his own right.

I saw mention of him being low in QB pressures, but he was still effective rushing the passer. That is an area where I can see his game improve. He's not a load like Woodley, who got fatter and moved less. Bud is a quick twitch athlete, who's just starting to scratch the surface of his potential and 1st round draft status. He still does a great job holding the edge in the running game, and can run down mobile QBs with his speed.

TJ is a monster, and I pay him. Good thing Ben's contract is off the books when it's time to do so.

JuJu, I'm still in a wait and see approach. He had a terrible year last year, so I want to see if he can bounce back before paying him. No way to I give him a big contract if he has another dud year. I like the guy, I like his potential, and I love his demeanor, but he has to perform to get paid well.
 
Dupree to me isn’t a one year wonder he’s been working hard, keeping the faith, and trying to improve. It’s what you want to see in a young player. NFL means not for long if you think you can come in and just use your physical gifts to make it. You gots to ball! He’s worked hard and his numbers have gotten better as he’s gotten better. They didn’t get better cus he finally got off *** his like a lot players do in their contract year. I’d pay him.
 
Take a look at this analysis on Dupree - https://www.dkpittsburghsports.com/2019/10/24/steelers-bud-dupree-sharper-edge-rusher-2019-cdc/

He has changed a number of aspects of his game - better technique, better hand use etc - and it has paid dividends in getting to the QB. To me that points to better coaching since Joey Porter was fired. I'm not sure who the OLBs coach was last year. I know Olsavsky was the ILB coach but maybe Keith Butler doubled up as OLB coach..? Either way, that gives me hope that this isn't a one hit wonder in a contract year.

I have no idea if that means that he will continue to improve but it makes me more comfrotable paying him a competitive rate - assuming that we can.
 
My concern about signing dupree long term is will it hinder them from signing Watt, who is clearly the better player
 
We cant pay everyone top dollar . RIght now, you got Tuitt as 2nd highest paid on the team behind ben. How do we pay watt, bush, cam, haden, minkah, and nelson when he comes up again, You cant. Thats why people hated on Donahoe He let people walk.
 
For everyone saying he got better, his number steadily improved, etc. He had 20 sacks, 2 FF, 6 PDs, and 30 QB pressures (Watt had 36 this season alone) combined in his previous 4 years. There really was only one way to go, up.
The Steelers usually do not let rookies they really like play out their entire deal before offering an extension, they did let Bud play out his contract, so they obviously weren't real impressed with him

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For everyone saying he got better, his number steadily improved, etc. He had 20 sacks, 2 FF, 6 PDs, and 30 QB pressures (Watt had 36 this season alone) combined in his previous 4 years. There really was only one way to go, up.
The Steelers usually do not let rookies they really like play out their entire deal before offering an extension, they did let Bud play out his contract, so they obviously weren't real impressed with him

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If you notice around the league, first rounders play out their contracts now because of the 5th year option. You retain a player for 5 years before you really have to pay them market value.
 
If you notice around the league, first rounders play out their contracts now because of the 5th year option. You retain a player for 5 years before you really have to pay them market value.
Steelers don't do that, they signed Tuitt heading into his final year of his rookie deal. They won't let Watt play out all 5 years

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Unfortunately, I don't see it that way. Bud the Dud did not start to adequately live up to the 1st round pick he was until this year. Other than that, he has been very pedestrian to put it mildly. In fact, I highly doubt he would have done anything this year without Watt on the other side! Though we have no one with game time experience (all because Tomlin can't rotate players in much), that doesn't mean that either Ola or Skipper can't be a good to great replacement for Bud. Hell, we lived at least 3 years pulling our hair out over Bud not being able to play the damn position, I'm sure we can give Ola or Skipper a couple years to develop. I look at it this way - what could Ola or Skipper look like in 5 years if given the same opportunity Dupree was given? How long did it take Harrison to see the field and look what we had with him! Opposite Watt, a rotation of Ola and Skipper will be just fine. I hope they let Dupree walk and message both Ola and Skipper, next man up - who wants it more?
Nope, I'm not gonna agree with this.

Buddy was not always stellar - we know that. But he has a better coach than Peezy and he was put in the right situations to excel.

Even when he wasn't making all the sacks he applied pressure.

The defense as a whole is better than good. Losing Dupree will be a huge setback...

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Nope, I'm not gonna agree with this.

Buddy was not always stellar - we know that. But he has a better coach than Peezy and he was put in the right situations to excel.

Even when he wasn't making all the sacks he applied pressure.

The defense as a whole is better than good. Losing Dupree will be a huge setback...

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I agree!
 
We cant pay everyone top dollar . RIght now, you got Tuitt as 2nd highest paid on the team behind ben. How do we pay watt, bush, cam, haden, minkah, and nelson when he comes up again, You cant. Thats why people hated on Donahoe He let people walk.
Bermuda would let Tuitt walk...

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Nope, I'm not gonna agree with this.

Buddy was not always stellar - we know that. But he has a better coach than Peezy and he was put in the right situations to excel.

Even when he wasn't making all the sacks he applied pressure.

The defense as a whole is better than good. Losing Dupree will be a huge setback...

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He ranks pretty low in QB pressures, so he's not getting much pressure.

And it would cost more to cut Tuitt than it would to keep him this season I believe.
 
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Pretty clear that Coryea is hell bent on not paying Bud. Damn glad we don't have a Madden GM running this team. Pay the man and move onto the next contract.
 
Pretty clear that Coryea is hell bent on not paying Bud. Damn glad we don't have a Madden GM running this team. Pay the man and move onto the next contract.

LOL, except I've said tag him or give him 13per, I guess that's hell bent on not signing him?
 
you said he's not a top tier player but want to pay him top 10 money. nuff said
 
you said he's not a top tier player but want to pay him top 10 money. nuff said

LOL, well that is possible to make top 10 money and not be a top tier player, top tier guys are Mack, Watt, used to be Von Miller. I thought I was hell bent on not signing him?
 
And that won't be top 10 money after this off season is over probably, definitely not after next off season.
 
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