While the move has yet to be made official, the Tennessee Titans are reportedly expected to release outside linebacker Bud Dupree, ending his two-year stint in Nashville.
Dupree was signed to a five-year, $82.5 million contract in 2021 with the hope he could help revive a Tennessee pass-rush that was among the NFL’s worst the year prior.
And, in his two years with the team, Tennessee’s pass-rush did indeed improve, and to nearly elite levels.
However, Dupree didn’t have a ton to do with that. Granted, he was clearly a difference-maker when on the field, but the problem was he couldn’t actually stay on the field.
In his first season back from a torn ACL, Dupree experienced a setback that forced him to miss some games and not be himself overall. In Year 2, a hip injury was the bane of Dupree’s existence, forcing him to miss six games for the second-straight year.
When it was all said and done, the Titans got 22 games and seven sacks out of their priciest free-agent acquisition of the 2021 offseason.
Cutting Dupree will save the Titans $9.35 million, while also leading to a dead-cap charge of $10.85 million. Not a massive chunk of change, but significant for a Tennessee team we think is retooling.
Tennessee could’ve saved more with a post-June 1 designation, but there’s been no word that’s the case. The downside of doing that is the Titans couldn’t use the money until June, well after free agency.
I had some hesitation about letting Dupree go because we simply don’t know what to expect out of Harold Landry in his first year back from a torn ACL, or Rashad Weaver, who still needs to prove himself as a full-time starter.
I would’ve been fine with bringing Dupree back at a discounted rate, and I’d assume that’s something Tennessee explored with no success. One thing that surprised me was the fact that the Titans weren’t able to unload him via trade, as he wouldn’t cost the acquiring team that much.
Assuming Dupree wasn’t open to taking a pay cut and staying in Nashville, the Titans made the move they had to make. Now, edge rusher becomes a bigger priority than it was.
Grade: A
Note: Grades go from “A” to “F” with no “+” or “-” marks.
