Bud Dupree, EDGE, Pittsburgh Steelers
Franchise Tag Salary: $15.828 million
Status: The Pittsburgh Steelers finally got the kind of production they were banking on in 2019 when they made Bud Dupree their first-round selection in the 2015 NFL Draft. He posted career numbers in quarterback pressures (51), sacks (13) and tackles (40). Both head coach Mike Tomlin and general manager Kevin Colbert insist that bringing Dupree back on an extension is the goal, and used the franchise tag as a means of working towards that resolution.
During free agency, the Steelers were in a tight cap position, but now they have freed up nearly six million in cap space. That should be enough to get an extension done, although Colbert might need to be a bit creative with the structure of the deal.
Prediction: Extension reached.