In just over a month, all 32 NFL teams will begin the process of designating which players they plan to use the franchise or transition tag on players. The date period runs from February 25 to March 10 and this is significant for the Pittsburgh Steelers. The name most associated with the franchise tag and the Steelers this offseason will be linebacker Bud Dupree.
Dupree is set to hit the free-agent market coming off of his best season as a pro. The Steelers gave Dupree his fifth-year option in 2019 and he rewarded them with 11.5 sacks. This nearly doubled his career-high to that point.
But now the Steelers are going to have to pay up. If they don’t, some other team will. They could buy themselves an extra season with the franchise tag but if you do that you are banking on Dupree continuing to improve.
