Dupree and Watt

[Lamberts_Lunatic]

So this year Bud and T.J. were.....monsters. It made me recall some other great LB combo's and gave me a lot to think about with Dupree's contract situation.

T.J. and Bud remind me a lot of Green and Lloyd. Bud has brought his A game and man, he played like his hair was of fire all season long. I have to admit, I really didn't expect it of him. He's had times where I've been like....Damn! But, overall I always felt like there was a little something missing. Not this year. Picking between him (this year) and Lloyd in his prime, would be a tough call.

T.J......man, what can ya say about this guy? 100% motor. And....he's got a nasty streak that I haven't really noticed before. I'm talking Lambert nasty. Smart and intelligent in how he applies it tho..... Gotta love this guy. Green was great, but man.....T.J.

So, I fondly recall the days of Blitzburgh. I think the group they've got now can rival, if not exceed that. With that in mind....we have to sign Bud to a contract.... not a tag. Hargrave is important, but Tuitt should be ready to fill that spot next season, that's why he got the contract that he did. We can't break this tandem apart. I've seen some really good ones....Harrison/Porter....Kirkland/Brown....Green/Lloyd.....(saving the best for last)......Lambert/Ham.

When you catch lightning in bottle you don't let it get away.....


LambertsLunatic

"quarterbacks should wear dresses"

[st33lersguy]

TJ and Bud are like Batman and Robin. They are like AB and Juju (strictly on-field wise). One is a top notch player, a guy who should win DPOY this year. The other is a guy who took til his 5th year in a contract year no less to get going. At best he is a no. 2 OLB who can only do well with a loaded supporting cast around him, at worst he is playing for a contract. Breaking the bank for Bud and paying him like a premium pass rusher would be a mistake.

[vasteeler]

Hopefully we find some offence next year to go along with it.

[Craic]

I disagree. The tag is a great option for Bud. While I believe he's turned the corner, others haven't. And then, there's the question of whether he can remain healthy. If he can perform two years in a row at this level, then give him the contract. But, make him prove himself again this year.

[Mojouw]

I disagree. The tag is a great option for Bud. While I believe he's turned the corner, others haven't. And then, there's the question of whether he can remain healthy. If he can perform two years in a row at this level, then give him the contract. But, make him prove himself again this year.

Excellent point. But there is a cap issue. If you do the tag, it's $16 all at once. If you do a 4 year deal it could be like 8 in 2020 and the other 8 goes on some future year when you aren't paying Ben.

[Craic]

Excellent point. But there is a cap issue. If you do the tag, it's $16 all at once. If you do a 4 year deal it could be like 8 in 2020 and the other 8 goes on some future year when you aren't paying Ben.

True,
But there's ways to make room under the cap. Don't get me wrong. If he's willing to sign long term for a hometown discount, then lock him up. But I definitely wouldn't be against tagging him for a year.

[AtlantaDan]

Excellent point. But there is a cap issue. If you do the tag, it's $16 all at once. If you do a 4 year deal it could be like 8 in 2020 and the other 8 goes on some future year when you aren't paying Ben.

But another issue is what % of your cap to tie up long term in the OLB position.

Barring catastrophic injury TJ is going to get a market setting contract for OLBs going into the 2021 season. If Dupree is signed to a long term deal as well that is a lot of $$ tied up in a position - it is like paying top of the market rate for two CBs or two WRs. Steelers may be particularly reluctant to do that given that Dupree underperformed until his contact year and those who signed Woodley then watched him get fat are still around.

Unless Dupree takes a significant home town discount, which he has little reason to do, cap management would seem to favor rearranging the deck chairs to pay for a tag on Dupree for 2020 then be more aggressive about finding a replacement for him in 2021 to play with Watt.

[Hawkman]

The thing that doesn’t get talked about much is, how their play this season, may have affected our going from one of the worst in turnovers, to the best......in one year. That is truly astounding. That just doesn’t happen.

[Mojouw]

But another issue is what % of your cap to tie up long term in the OLB position.

Barring catastrophic injury TJ is going to get a market setting contract for OLBs going into the 2021 season. If Dupree is signed to a long term deal as well that is a lot of $$ tied up in a position - it is like paying top of the market rate for two CBs or two WRs. Steelers may be particularly reluctant to do that given that Dupree underperformed until his contact year and those who signed Woodley then watched him get fat are still around.

Unless Dupree takes a significant home town discount, which he has little reason to do, cap management would seem to favor rearranging the deck chairs to pay for a tag on Dupree for 2020 then be more aggressive about finding a replacement for him in 2021 to play with Watt.

But a longer term contract allows you to shove the big parts of all that OLB cap hit to post Ben. When you have a QB on a smaller contract, you can throw cap money around like a drunken sailor.

That's assuming the new CBA works like the present one.

[Mojouw]

The thing that doesn’t get talked about much is, how their play this season, may have affected our going from one of the worst in turnovers, to the best......in one year. That is truly astounding. That just doesn’t happen.

Yes!!!!! Getting offensive breaking pressure with just 4 pass rushers allowed so much to happen on the back end.

[steelreserve]

With that in mind....we have to sign Bud to a contract.... not a tag.

[steelreserve]

But a longer term contract allows you to shove the big parts of all that OLB cap hit to post Ben. When you have a QB on a smaller contract, you can throw cap money around like a drunken sailor.

That's assuming the new CBA works like the present one.

I will bet you anything that money's already spent. Ever notice how every time we have a big contract or dead money expiring, we go, "Hey, since we're no longer paying Bell, Shazier, Brown, etc., the bright side is that we should have $25 million or $30 million in cap space available for other players!" ... and then like a day later there's an article that says "The Steelers are projected to have only $2.6 million in cap space next year, so they'll have a tough time signing anyone in free agency."

Pushing money into the future is a thing, but we have been doing that forever and our credit card has been maxed out for a decade-plus. I am pretty sure most of Ben's retirement money is already tied up in the back end of existing contracts for players like Tuitt, DeCastro, Nelson, Haden, whoever else, and when Ben retires, the article will read "The Steelers need to find a new franchise quarterback and still have only $2.6 million in cap space. Here is a list of players they can release just to sign their upcoming draft class."

Make no mistake, Dupree is going to be am either/or decision; we WILL have to forego another good player if we keep him, and we will not be able to fake it. It's Dupree or Watt, Dupree or Minkah, Dupree or Bush, Dupree or Hargrave, maybe Dupree or Juju +1. Literally all of those are going to be big-money contracts, and that's about the max you can have on one team. At least one of them has to go. Juju is the only one I would remotely consider a wise move.

[Mojouw]

I will bet you anything that money's already spent. Ever notice how every time we have a big contract or dead money expiring, we go, "Hey, since we're no longer paying Bell, Shazier, Brown, etc., the bright side is that we should have $25 million or $30 million in cap space available for other players!" ... and then like a day later there's an article that says "The Steelers are projected to have only $2.6 million in cap space next year, so they'll have a tough time signing anyone in free agency."

Pushing money into the future is a thing, but we have been doing that forever and our credit card has been maxed out for a decade-plus. I am pretty sure most of Ben's retirement money is already tied up in the back end of existing contracts for players like Tuitt, DeCastro, Nelson, Haden, whoever else, and when Ben retires, the article will read "The Steelers need to find a new franchise quarterback and still have only $2.6 million in cap space. Here is a list of players they can release just to sign their upcoming draft class."

Make no mistake, Dupree is going to be am either/or decision; we WILL have to forego another good player if we keep him, and we will not be able to fake it. It's Dupree or Watt, Dupree or Minkah, Dupree or Bush, Dupree or Hargrave, maybe Dupree or Juju +1. Literally all of those are going to be big-money contracts, and that's about the max you can have on one team. At least one of them has to go. Juju is the only one I would remotely consider a wise move.

Nah. The credit card is open for business again in 2021 for sure. OF course no on is under contract....

https://overthecap.com/salary-cap/pittsburgh-steelers/

[teegre]

2020: tag Dupree, pay Ben

2021: extend Watt*, pay Ben, extend Dupree*

2022: Ben is retired, both of the extension from 2021 get big paydays during this “non-Ben” year

*big signing bonus plus a minimal salary fir 2021, with most of the bonus (plus a huge salary) going into the books for 2022.

[Hawkman]

2020: tag Dupree, pay Ben

2021: extend Watt*, pay Ben, extend Dupree*

2022: Ben is retired, both of the extension from 2021 get big paydays during this “non-Ben” year

*big signing bonus plus a minimal salary fir 2021, with most of the bonus (plus a huge salary) going into the books for 2022.

What about the other 50 players

[teegre]

What about the other 50 players

Two words: vet minimum

[Hawkman]

Two words: vet minimum

Berry might have a problem with that.