The Pittsburgh Steelers had four or five pretty obvious needs entering the 2024 NFL Draft. They addressed three of the big ones with their first three selections, getting an offensive tackle, a center, and a wide receiver. But they waited until their final pick, No. 195 overall, to add to the cornerback room.
Patrick Peterson and Chandon Sullivan played large roles on the team last year, but both are no longer on the roster. They remain free agents, so one or both could circle back, but there seems to be another option emerging. Former Steelers CB Cam Sutton, who has versatility to play both in the slot and outside, recently became available after the Detroit Lions cut him following some pretty serious legal issues stemming from an alleged domestic violence incident. The charge was reduced from a felony to a misdemeanor, but there is still the possibility of league discipline looming.
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Steelers insider Gerry Dulac reported on the morning of the third day of the 2024 NFL Draft that the team had a recent meeting with Sutton. On Wednesday morning GM Omar Khan appeared on WDVE Radio and did not shut down the possibility of Sutton returning.
“We’ll see,” Khan said via WDVE Morning Show. “We did meet with Cam…it was more than just about the situation here, we just wanna see how he was doing.”
Now in Dulac’s Wednesday morning Steelers chat, he seems to think there could be something to that meeting with Sutton. He was asked if waiting until the sixth round to address corner could reflect the team’s belief in Cory Trice Jr. or Darius Rush.
“I think it might say something about Cam Sutton,” Dulac wrote. When asked if Sutton could be an actual option, Dulac added, “I guess we’ll find out. I’m sure their meeting with him probably had something to do with that.”
If the Steelers had zero interest, Khan probably wouldn’t have left it so open-ended in his interview. There does appear to at least be some interest there. The Steelers have largely avoided character concerns as of late. It might make sense to wait until the NFL decides what it is going to do with any potential discipline before making a decision.
Sutton emerged as a starter in the final two years of his six-year stint in Pittsburgh. Over those two seasons, he totaled 95 combined tackles, 79 solo tackles, 21 passes defensed, five interceptions, and one forced fumble. He leveraged that performance into a three-year, $33 million contract with the Lions but only ended up playing one season in Detroit before being released.
Khan also noted during his WDVE interview that the Steelers are excited about some of the depth guys they have at slot corner, including UDFA Beanie Bishop Jr. It sounds like they are at least doing their due diligence on a reunion with Sutton at this point, and Dulac thinks it could be more than just a passing thought.
