Buy Or Sell: Cameron Sutton is not a “lock” to make the 53-man roster.
Explanation: Ordinarily when people talk about players being a “lock” to make a team, they mean there is virtually no chance of it not happening. When it comes to Cameron Sutton, there is obviously a chance of him not making the team. So in this case, by not a lock, I mean he has a significant chance of the Steelers releasing him.
Buy:
The Steelers signed Cameron Sutton to a one-year Veteran Salary Benefit contract with no signing bonus. No roster bonus means the Steelers have nothing to lose if he doesn’t make the team. That in and of itself is a screaming indicator that his roster stability is questionable.
Some players the Steelers signed to Veteran Salary Benefit deals who received bonuses: Scotty Miller, MyCole Pruitt, Quez Watkins, Van Jefferson, Kyle Allen. That makes Sutton’s cap hit so cheap that he doesn’t even qualify for the Rule of 51.
They may like Sutton as a person just fine, but he has a massive anchor hovering over his neck. If a suspension comes in bigger than the Steelers anticipated, he’s gone. If he doesn’t look clearly like the third-best corner on the roster, he’s gone. And Beanie Bishop Jr. is just one guy who wants his job.
Sell:
The fact that the Steelers even signed Cameron Sutton tells you everything you need to know. The bonus argument is miniscule. They couldn’t do that, both for optics and for the hypotheticals. But there is no way they take the public relations risk of signing him if they don’t expect him to play. And he has to be on the roster to play.
They know who Sutton the football player is. They know what he did in this system for six years. Even if a player like Bishop does step up in training camp, they know how valuable an experienced veteran is. Sutton’s arrest was a boon for them schematically, as callous as that is to say. But it’s the simple fact of the matter. They wouldn’t have a qualified slot cornerback otherwise.
With the Steelers’ 2023 season in the rearview mirror following a disappointing year that came up short in the playoffs once again, it’s time to start asking more questions. Questions about the team’s future in 2024 and beyond. Questions about The Standard.
The rookie class of a year ago was on the whole impressive, but they need to step up into staple starters in 2024. And they needed a strong influx of talent in both free agency and in the 2024 NFL Draft yet again. In addition to a revisitation of the coaching staff.
These sorts of uncertainties are what I will look to address in our Buy or Sell series. In each installment, I will introduce a topic statement and weigh some of the arguments for either buying it (meaning that you agree with it or expect it to be true) or selling it (meaning you disagree with it or expect it to be false).
