Bud Dupree's next NFL stop will be in Atlanta.
The edge rusher is signing a one-year deal with the Falcons worth up to $5 million, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported on Friday.
Dupree's salary pales in comparison to what he was making per year in Tennessee, where the Titans took an expensive risk on the defender in the months following an ACL injury, signing him to a five-year, $82 million deal in 2021. Dupree only made it through the first two years of that deal, struggling to bounce back from the injury in his first season in Nashville and appearing in just 22 of a possible 34 games (with 17 starts).
Tennessee didn't receive the return it anticipated on its investment, releasing Dupree in March shortly after his 30th birthday and saving a decent chunk of cap space.
Dupree waited a month before latching on with a new squad, moving south to Atlanta, where general manager Terry Fontenot has dedicated plenty of resources to remaking the Falcons' defense. Dupree is the latest addition to a unit that has also welcomed veterans David Onyemata, Calais Campbell, Jessie Bates and Jeff Okudah in the last month.
At 30, Dupree still has some juice left in him, as evidenced by the seven sacks he recorded between 2021 and 2022. It's not as likely he'll rediscover the form that saw him tally 39.5 sacks in six seasons while with the Steelers. However, Atlanta isn't paying for that type of defender. If the Falcons can receive decent production (and consistent availability) from Dupree, it will have been worth the $5 million.
