I hope you’re sitting down for this one, but ESPN is predicting that the Pittsburgh Steelers will, in fact, use the franchise tag on pending unrestricted free agent outside linebacker Bud Dupree. This has been the prevailing assumption throughout the offseason, so certainly nothing surprising, and seemingly the only thing that would prevent it would be if the two sides were to agree to terms on a long-term deal instead.
A franchise tag for Dupree would run about $16.2 million — a seemingly tall ask for a team with less than $6 million in cap space.