Steelers place Dupree on IR with sports hernia
Bud Dupree
Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Artie Burns (25), outside linebacker Bud Dupree (48) and inside linebacker Ryan Shazier (50) warmup for drills during the NFL football practice, Tuesday, May 24, 2016 in Pittsburgh. Burns, Dupree, and Shazier are the Steelers top draft picks from the last three years. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)
PITTSBURGH – The Steelers had high hopes for linebacker Bud Dupree in his second NFL season, figuring the 2015 first-round draft pick might be a candidate for a breakout year.
That will have to wait.
The Steelers placed Dupree on the Reserve/Injured List Sunday with a groin injury that has sidelined him for more than a month.
The NFL Network reported Sunday Dupree is going to have surgery to repair a sports hernia. Dupree attempted to practice last week but was not feeling any improvement and head coach Mike Tomlin said the linebacker had an evaluation of the injury last Tuesday.
“We’ll just see what the evaluation tells us,” Tomlin said.
Obviously, it wasn’t good.
Dupree reported to training camp about 15 pounds lighter than he was as a rookie and the Steelers were excited about the 6-4, 250-pound linebacker’s progress after he had 26 tackles and four sacks in 2015.
He was pencilled in as the starting left outside linebacker opposite Jarvis Jones and outside linebackers coach Joey Porter said early in training camp the team hoped that duo would be solid, allowing the team to scrap the rotation it used at the position in 2015. Jones and Dupree rotated with James Harrison and Arthur Moats all of last season.
“I think he is a double digit-type guy, a Pro Bowl-type guy, it wouldn’t surprise me,” Porter said of Dupree. “I think he has that ability.”
With Dupree out, Jones will continue to start on the right side with Moats the likely starter on the left. He will be backed up by second-year linebacker Anthony Chickillo, while Harrison will continue to back up Jones.
The Steelers re-signed veteran inside linebacker Steven Johnson to take Dupree’s place on the 53-man roster.
Meanwhile, the team has not yet made a move with injured cornerback Senquez Golson, who has been out since the third day of training camp after suffering a Lisfranc injury.
Golson was expected to be placed on injured reserve, but recently said he hopes to return to the field sometime in mid to late October. He had surgery to repair the injury Aug. 8.
If Golson is on track to return in October, the Steelers could hold off on placing him on injured reserve to save the designation to return spot for Dupree.
Saturday, the team sent a 2018 sixth-round draft pick to Cleveland for cornerback Justin Gilbert, a 2014 first-round draft pick. The addition of Gilbert gives the Steelers four healthy cornerbacks, though safety Sean Davis is playing the nickel corner spot in the nickel defense.
Also Sunday, the Steelers signed 10 players to their practice squad, nine of which were with the team in training camp.
Holdovers signed were Brandon Brown-Dukes and Cameron Stingily, wide receivers Demarcus Ayers and Cobi Hamilton, offensive tackle Matt Feiler, defensive end Caushaud Lyons, defensive tackle Johnny Maxey, cornerback Al-Hajj Shabazz and linebacker Travis Feeney.
Tight end tight end Rashaun Allen, who was in training camp with New Orleans, also was signed to the practice squad.