Bud Dupree moves on from his agent ahead of free agency

Set to become an unrestricted free agent next month, Bud Dupree has moved on from his current representation and will be seeking a new agent for the 2020 season.

Hoping to cash in with a nice pay day based on his 2019 production, Dupree must wait until the weekend before he is allowed to sign with a new agent.

Formerly represented by Creative Artists Agency, considered to be one of the top agencies in sports and entertainment, it is unclear why Dupree found the need to find a new representation. With a number of superstars as clients across various sports such as Derek Jeter, David Beckham, and both Eli and Peyton Manning, CAA has a high reputation within the industry.

Just last week, fellow Steelers teammate and 2020 unrestricted free agent Javon Hargrave signed with Rosenhaus Sports as his new representation.

It has been a general rule in the NFL as of late that a player’s second contract is the largest and most important of their career. On average, it is the largest paydays for most players especially outside of the quarterback position. Both Bud Dupree and Javon Hargrave are entering this phase of their career and hope to make the most out of their recent production.

While Dupree expects to be entering ab open negotiation phase for 2020, the Steelers still could use the franchise tag (either exclusive or non-exclusive) for one more season if they choose to keep Dupree at the expected $16 million price tag. Several moves would have to be made by the Steelers in order to use the designation. Additionally, the Steelers would most likely try to work out a different long-term deal which could lower the 2020 cap hit.

Like all NFL teams, the Steelers may begin using the franchise or transition tags next Tuesday, February 25 and have up until March 10 to place the designation.