The Atlanta Falcons have made another addition to their defense. After finishing last season 27th in yards allowed, 23rd in points allowed and 30th in defensive efficiency (per Football Outsiders' DVOA), Atlanta has spent the offseason making several additions on the defensive side of the ball.
The latest of those signings is edge rusher Bud Dupree, who spent the past two seasons with the Tennessee Titans. Dupree signed a one-year contract with the Falcons, per WSB-TV in Atlanta. The deal will pay Dupree $5 million, according to NFL Media.
Dupree has ended each of the last three seasons with a trip to injured reserve, having played exactly 11 games in each of those three campaigns. A former first-round pick of Pittsburgh in 2015, Dupree spent the first six years of his career with the Steelers before signing in Tennessee prior to the 2021 season. In the first four years of his career, Dupree totaled 20 sacks, 33 quarterback hits and 30 tackles for loss. Playing on his fifth-year option in 2019, Dupree exploded for 11.5 sacks, 17 hits and 16 tackles for loss. That led to the Steelers using the franchise tag on him for the 2020 season. He racked up eight sacks, 15 hits and eight tackles for loss that year before signing a five-year, $82.5 million deal with the Titans.
His two years in Tennessee saw his production decline, with a total of seven sacks, 17 hits and eight tackles for loss in 22 games. The Titans released him earlier this offseason to save room under the salary cap as they attempt to reshape their roster. Now, he lands in Atlanta on a one-year contract, which he apparently chose over a potential two-year deal to return to Pittsburgh, according to ESPN. If he can rediscover his prior form, perhaps Dupree can land another long-term pact next offseason.
