Player: CB Cameron Sutton
Stock Value: Up
Reasoning: The Pittsburgh Steelers brought back Cameron Sutton to play football, and so far, he has looked like he still can. Going into his eighth season, he projects as their slot cornerback, and he drew positive reports from OTAs and minicamp.
The Pittsburgh Steelers brought Cameron Sutton in to do one job—a job that involves a number of roles. While we can reasonably postulate that he will be the primary slot defender, his versatility is also his strength. Bringing back Sutton shores up depth not just inside, but also outside and at safety.
At least as far as the football field is concerned, so far, so good. I have only read positive reports about how Sutton looked during OTAs and minicamp, though he should look the part. He spent six years in this defense, which hasn’t radically changed in the year he was away.
There is some concern given his struggles last season with the Detroit Lions, but some of the things they asked of Sutton are not in line with his strengths. The Steelers are unlikely to put him outside very often this year, reserving him primarily for slot work.
After all, they have Joey Porter Jr. as their new shutdown cornerback, and they just traded for Donte Jackson. These are every-down players, so as long as they stay healthy, the slot is the only place for Sutton. But he spent years playing inside, so it’s nothing new to him.
One of the main questions, of course, is when he will play. Sutton is likely to face a suspension to start the season following his offseason arrest for domestic assault. While he participated in a pre-trial diversion program, the NFL is its own jury.
Based on reports, though, Sutton is far and away the favorite to occupy the slot role. That also meshes with how all of his teammates are talking about him. I wouldn’t exactly anticipate a heated training camp battle with Beanie Bishop Jr. for the starting slot job. I’m just preparing you for that now, though he might play while Sutton is suspended. And then perhaps you can argue anything can happen.
As the season progresses, Steelers players’ stocks rise and fall. The nature of the evaluation differs with the time of year, with in-season considerations being more often short-term. Considerations in the offseason often have broader implications, particularly when players lose their jobs, or the team signs someone. This time of year is full of transactions, whether minor or major.
A bad game, a new contract, an injury, a promotion—any number of things affect a player’s value. Think of it as a stock on the market, based on speculation. You’ll feel better about a player after a good game, or worse after a bad one. Some stock updates are minor, while others are likely to be quite drastic, so bear in mind the degree. I’ll do my best to explain the nature of that in the reasoning section of each column.
