Two of the biggest topics of conversation this offseason are quarterback Ryan Tannehill and outside linebacker Bud Dupree, both of whom are candidates for the team to part ways with.
Dupree has a better chance to be let go thanks to his injury issues the past few years and a huge cap hit, but it’s possible both are in new homes in 2023.
ESPN’s Turron Davenport recently said on “Stillman and Company” that he could see both returning next year. He says the vibe he’s getting is that Tannehill stays, and he said it’s “very possible” Dupree sticks around, also.
With Dupree, Davenport did note that people in the building believe he does make a difference when on the field, but the team has to weigh how much they value what he brings with the veteran’s massive $20.2 million cap hit.
Earlier this week @TDavenport_NFL did his “TD Power Hour” on @JaredStillman’s “Stillman & Company”
I missed it live, listened to it this morning & TD talked about what he’s hearing:
– #Titans & QBs
– Bud Dupree’s statusFull episode with @1025TheGame: https://t.co/0UiDipGtvO pic.twitter.com/f0ajWV41PC
— Football & Other F Words (@FWordsPod) March 4, 2023
Also included in the clip is Davenport reporting the Titans “really like” C.J. Stroud, who is their top quarterback in this year’s draft. You can check out more on that right here.
Davenport later clarified his words on Tannehill and Dupree, noting that they weren’t a definitive statement.
I definitely didn’t say that Tannehill or Dupree definitely will be back. I said very possible and outlined why.
— TURRON DAVENPORT (@TDavenport_NFL) March 4, 2023
The Titans keeping Tannehill wouldn’t be a surprise. Dupree, on the other hand, would be a surprise but not a total shocker when you consider the circumstances.
Yes, Dupree accounts for a huge cap hit and doesn’t deserve the money he’ll make after injury issues the past two seasons, but Tennessee would also have to swallow more than half of that $20.2 million ($10.85 million). Dupree’s dead-cap hit in 2024 is more reasonable, coming in at $6.4 million.
Adding to that, Tennessee would be very thin at the position, and those that remain will be big question marks, as the jury is still out on Rashad Weaver as a starter and Harold Landry is coming off a torn ACL and may not be himself in his first year back.
Tennessee could add a pass-rusher in free agency and/or the draft, but they’d be paying said free agent on top of Dupree’s dead money, which might work out to around the same price or more as his cap hit, and a draft pick may not help right away, if at all.
If the Titans end up deciding not to keep Dupree, he should have value on the trade market. He would only cost the acquiring team $9.35 million in 2023, which isn’t a bad price at all.
Dupree is capable of being a difference-maker when on the field and I could see why Tennessee might consider keeping him given the current situation at the position, but his inability to stay healthy and price tag will ultimately lead to him playing elsewhere in 2023.
