Kevin Gorman: Steelers need a leaner Bud Dupree to finally live up to expectations

If Bud Dupree looks noticeably leaner for the Pittsburgh Steelers, it’s not because he lost weight.

“I’m still 260,” Dupree said. “I just trimmed up.”

Maybe he wised up, too.

A soup-and-salad diet since April allowed Dupree to lose some body fat — the Georgia native told me giving up fried foods, especially catfish and chicken, was the hardest part — in hopes his stamina will match his speed and strength this season.

The 6-foot-4 outside linebacker, who said he has been as heavy as 275 pounds, believes it will make him a stronger pass rusher. That’s what the Steelers desperately need from Dupree, who has had at least four sacks every season but never more than six. To that degree, he has been a disappointment.

“It’s just for being able to stay on the field and (play) full speed while I’m on the field,” said Dupree, who started eating protein again just weeks before the start of training camp. “It’s about stamina. That’s the main thing — and for training camp. I’m in tip-top shape off the field for football, but when you’re chasing people around, it’s a whole different kind of shape. When you’ve got to go out with the pads on and really chase people around, it’s a different level.”

The Steelers are counting on Dupree to play at a different level, which is why they picked up the fifth-year option at $9.23 million for their former first-round pick. They also didn’t have much choice, considering the need to concentrate on upgrading at inside linebacker and the lack of proven depth behind Dupree. Only Anthony Chickillo has played significant snaps.

There’s a high risk-reward involving Dupree. The Steelers invested a lot of money in a player whose performance hasn’t matched first-round expectations. If he has a strong season, he is worth every penny. Then again, if Dupree improves his performance, they could lose him to free agency.

The leaner physique is a positive sign Dupree is entering his contract year highly motivated to prove he can be the pass-rushing force everyone envisioned when he was chosen 22nd overall in 2015 out of Kentucky.

“You don’t lose any power or lose any strength, not me personally,” Dupree said. “Being able to keep the shoulder strength and core strength plays a big role in having more power. Keeping that speed will make your power more efficient because guys will get on their heels a lot more.”

That’s why Dupree embraced his switch from the left side to the right, trading spots with Pro Bowl pick T.J. Watt. By doing so, Dupree went from the quarterback’s direct line of vision to his blind side. That might explain his tendency to over-pursue.

“It gave me a chance to do a couple more things that I couldn’t do on the other side because the quarterback always sees me on the other side and steps up,” Dupree said. “When I was on the other side, as soon as I beat the tackle, the quarterback sees, me and he’ll hit the hole or throw it right away. It comes with being hand-in-hand with the guy beside me.”

The guy beside Dupree — defensive tackle Cameron Heyward — is a Pro Bowl player. So is Watt, the guy at his position on the opposite side. This is the season where Dupree has to prove that he can live up to his immense talent, where his loss becomes the Steelers’ gain — especially in the sack department.

Hey, Steelers Nation, get the latest news about the Pittsburgh Steelers here.