Bleacher Report: Titans Signing Bud Dupree One of Offseason’s Worst Moves

Bleacher Report’s Chris Roling has ranked the Tennessee Titans’ free agent signing of pass rusher Bud Dupree as the eighth-worst move of the 2021 offseason.

Tennessee had to do something to bolster their anemic pass rush from a season ago, but Roling is not convinced signing Dupree to a five-year, $82.5 million contract was the wisest move.

Not only is Dupree’s torn ACL a genuine concern, but it is also a gamble he will be able to replicate the production he displayed in Pittsburgh over the last two seasons.

“While Dupree had 19.5 sacks over his last two campaigns, he had no more than six in each of his previous four seasons,” Roling wrote. “His recent success has felt a bit like fool’s gold, which might explain the 60.2 Pro Football Focus grade last year. To make matters worse, he suffered a torn ACL late last season. As soon as he’s ready, the Titans will expect Dupree to match his production from the last two years without help from players like Cameron Heyward and T.J. Watt.”

If Dupree is not the same guy, the contract will be an albatross for the Titans moving forward. Dupree recorded 19.5 sacks, 24 tackles-for-loss and six forced fumbles over the last two seasons in Pittsburgh.

Roling ranked the Carolina Panthers’ acquisition of and subsequent commitment to former New York Jets quarterback Sam Darnold as the worst move of the 2021 offseason.