The Falcons have had a couple of surprising free agent acquisitions. The most notable being Calais Campbell, who chose Atlanta over Baltimore, New York, Buffalo, and Jacksonville — all playoff-caliber teams. Campbell elaborated that Arthur Blank’s philanthropic impact, along with Arthur Smith and Terry Fontenot’s efforts in painting an enticing picture, were the driving factors in his decision. Bud Dupree was the other somewhat shocking addition.
The former Steelers first-round pick certainly wasn’t as sought-after as Campbell, but him joining the Falcons was a bit unforeseen. However, it makes more sense as the layers are peeled back. Dupree revealed that he chose Atlanta over Pittsburgh, where he was originally drafted, because of the term of the perspective contracts.
Omar Khan offered a two-year contract, while Terry Fontenot’s offer was just one year; Dupree preferred the prove-it deal so that he can test the free agent market next offseason in hopes of what would likely be his final long-term, lucrative contract.
After the Steelers drafted him, Dupree parlayed a productive final two seasons in Pittsburgh into a five-year, $82.5 million deal with the Titans in 2021. However, his stint in Tennessee didn’t go how either side imagined. It only lasted two seasons, and Dupree only logged seven sacks in 22 games.
The Georgia native is back home with a bounce back campaign in his sights. It’s a win-win for the Falcons. His contract is team-friendly, as the details were just revealed by OverTheCap.Â
- Fully Guaranteed: $2.49 million
- Base Salary: $1.24 million
- Signing Bonus: $1.25 million
- Per-Game Roster Bonus: $510,000
The deal is officially valued at $3 million with a $2.82 million cap hit. The Falcons aren’t expecting double-digit sacks from Bud Dupree; he’ll assume a rotational role with Lorenzo Carter, Arnold Ebiketie, DeAngelo Malone, and any other edge defenders the Falcons might draft. Dupree might not even have enough opportunities to prove he’s worth another multi-year deal. It’s all gravy for the Falcons, though. It’s a low-risk, high-reward signing.
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