When NFL free agency officially begins next week, the New York Giants will have their eyes on several markets, including wide receiver and edge rusher.
The team has desperate needs at both positions and is expected to be active in negotiations. Their primary wide receiver target is Kenny Golladay, but if that falls through, they will turn their attention to the deep pool of edge rushers.
Out of that group, there are some inside the Giants’ building who really like Bud Dupree, reports ESPN’s Jordan Raanan.
“Bud Dupree is a guy I have my eyes on. I know there are people in the building who like him,” Raanan said on the “Breaking Big Blue” podcast. “Obviously, I don’t know if they’re willing to make that offer and go to that level because [he’s] coming off a serious knee injury. And there is risk in that, obviously.
“Also, he kind of blossomed the past two years, whereas the beginning of his career got off to a slow start. How much of that, do they determine, is the fact that he played alongside T.J. Watt? Definitely something you have to take into consideration.”
Pro Football Focus recently listed Dupree as an “overrated” free agent for precisely that reason.
Dupree is the classic buyer-beware candidate at the edge position. An incredibly gifted player capable of making splash plays, he also comes with a first-round pedigree and has 22 sacks over his past 27 games.
The problem is that he has played in an environment that gives him a lot of layups in terms of pass rushing. Last season, 60.5% of Dupree’s total pressures were either unblocked, cleanup or pursuit plays, which are more circumstantial than they are evidence of plus play. By contrast, only 26% of T..J. Watt‘s pressures fell into those categories.
The fact that Dupree suffered an ACL tear in December may also give the Giants pause. That’s a very serious injury, and both the recovery and rehab timeline can be unpredictable.
Should the Giants opt to pass on Dupree, Raanan says one name to look out for is Haason Reddick.
“Haason Reddick is a guy I think they might look into. The price has to be right on that one,” Raanan said. “Those are really the two who stand out to me.”
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