Editor’s note: Leading up to a unique Pittsburgh Steelers training camp staged at Heinz Field this year, the Tribune-Review will be running through the team’s 90-man roster, assessing each player’s outlook for the 2020 season. The breakdown will go through the roster, in mostly alphabetical order, two per day, between June 9 and July 23, a day that was originally planned to be reporting day for players to camp. (Contract data courtesy spotrac.com)

OLB BUD DUPREE

Experience: 6th season

Contract status: $15.8 million cap hit on franchise tag in 2020

2020 outlook: Dupree’s gradual ascension in regards to production and quality of play has dovetailed perfectly into his salary and contract structure. He showed just enough in Year 3 to trigger a fifth-year option at $9.23 million. He showed just enough in Year 4 for the Steelers to honor that commitment, and he showed just enough in Year 5 for the team to apply the franchise tag that has made him the Steelers’ highest-paid player in 2020 (only Ben Roethlisberger has a higher salary-cap number). Dupree is now, in Year 6, playing for an even bigger payday.

Bottom line: But will it come from the Steelers? Though the coronavirus pandemic clouded things considerably, there has been no known indication the Steelers are looking to sign Dupree to a multi-year extension before a July 15 deadline. If Dupree’s production falls off (he had 11½ sacks in 2019), the Steelers might not want to pay him in the spring, either. And if it slips, they definitely won’t want to. Dupree can feel comfortable, though, that if gets double-digit sacks again, his 2021 income will surpass what he’s making in 2020.

Christian DiLauro can laugh about going from an anonymous offensive tackle on the #Steelers practice squad to being caught in the cross-hairs of a quarterback controversy https://t.co/4HVFywUnfd

— Tribune-ReviewSports (@TribSports) December 1, 2019

OL CHRISTIAN DILAURO

Experience: No regular-season games but time in two NFL training camps and on practice squads

Contract status: $610,000 cap hit in 2020

2020 outlook: DiLauro joined his fourth NFL team in 14 months when the Steelers added him to their practice squad in October. After 3½ years as a starter at Illinois, DiLauro signed with the Browns as a 2018 undrafted free agent but was released from the organization in September. He would then spend 11 months as part of the 49ers and 11 days last fall with the Texans before landing in Pittsburgh. He stuck with the Steelers the final 12 weeks of the regular season and showed enough to be brought back on a reserve/future deal.

Bottom line: The Steelers have four established veteran NFL tackles and a recent draft pick (2019 seventh-rounder Derwin Gray), so DiLauro essentially has zero chance to make the 53-man. He will be looking to protect his practice-squad spot in 2020 with the hopes of further development. DiLuaro has enough versatility he has a shot.

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