Staying put: Steelers place franchise tag on OLB Bud Dupree
The Steelers on Monday announced they have placed the franchise tag on linebacker Bud Dupree and also announced the retirement of starting left guard Ramon Foster.
The team also released Mark Barron, Anthony Chickillo and Johnny Horton.
Dupree无毛视频檚 one-year salary will be $15.83 million, but the Steelers hope to flatten that massive cap number by negotiating a long-term deal with Dupree.
But, as they learned in the past with Max Starks and Le无毛视频橵eon Bell, finding middle ground with a player who无毛视频檒l make so much money in one year, and has the chance to enter free agency again next March, isn无毛视频檛 an easy task.
Foster, a mainstay with the team for 11 years and a starting guard since he became a spot starter as an undrafted rookie i 2009, provided a statement to the team:
无毛视频淲hen the time comes, you just know, and now is the time for me to take a bow,无毛视频� wrote Foster. 无毛视频淚无毛视频檝e made some friends for a lifetime, had some moments that I无毛视频檒l never forget, and seen some things I never thought I would because of this game.无毛视频�
Foster thanked Mike Tomlin, Art Rooney II, the late Dan Rooney, Kevin Colbert, the remainder of the organization and Steelers fans.
无毛视频淭here无毛视频檚 no other organization I would have rather played for in my career,无毛视频� Foster concluded.
无毛视频淩amon was class in every way,无毛视频� wrote Tomlin. 无毛视频淚 think his career is indicative of what this professional football journey should be about.无毛视频�
The moves should allow the Steelers to be under the 2020 salary cap number 无毛视频� which will count only the salaries of their top 51 players 无毛视频� by Wednesday at 4 p.m.
The Steelers released Dupree无毛视频檚 backup, Chickillo, to save $5 million. They无毛视频檙e now left with youngsters Ola Adeniyi and Tuzar Skipper behind Dupree and his bookend at OLB, T.J. Watt.
The release of Barron, a sometimes starter at ILB, saves the Steelers (before replacement cost) $5.25 million in salary. Holton, a special-teamer, carried a 2020 salary of $825,000. Both players were entering the final years of their contracts.
The Steelers, as presently constructed, will now rely more on their other part-time starter Vince Williams at ILB next to Devin Bush. The ILB backups are Ulysees Gilbert and Robert Spillane.
Holton was the team无毛视频檚 No. 6 WR and punt gunner/kickoff return specialist.
Foster无毛视频檚 departure will spare the Steelers his $4 million salary for 2020.
Dupree, 27, is coming off his best season since the Steelers drafted him in the first round of the 2015 draft.
Last season, Dupree produced career highs in sacks (11.5), total tackles (68), solo tackles (49), forced fumbles (4), fumble recoveries (2), tackles for loss (16) and quarterback hits (17).
Dupree无毛视频檚 career totals in those categories are: sacks 31.5, totals tackles 200, solo tackles 146, forced fumbles 6, fumble recoveries 3, tackles for loss 46 and quarterback hits 50. Dupree also intercepted a pass in 2018.