Needing an answer at the slot cornerback position, as well as some depth on the outside behind Joey Porter Jr. and Donte Jackson, the Pittsburgh Steelers turned to a familiar face in veteran Cameron Sutton last week. They signed the veteran cornerback to a one-year, veteran minimum deal after he was released March 20 by the Detroit Lions following an arrest warrant for domestic violence.
Head coach Mike Tomlin has stated the Steelers’ comfort after the due diligence done on Sutton and his legal situation and that they feel good about the reunion considering the relationship they have with him.
Defensive coordinator Teryl Austin is excited to have that type of talent in Sutton back in the cornerbacks room because of all the different things and multiple hats he can wear for the Steelers’ defense, allowing them to change up looks throughout games.
Speaking with reporters Wednesday during minicamp at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex on the South Side, Austin stated he believes Sutton will be able to do a lot of different things for the Steelers in 2024.
“Cam is a football player. He’s really versatile. He can do a lot of things for us,” Austin said, according to video via Steelers.com. “…Obviously we’ve got a relationship with Cam and so, coaching Cam for…I had him for four years. It’s just that he can do a lot of different things. He’s a really good pro. He helps in the room. He helps on the field because he can do multiple things.
“And so I think having him back is going to be really good for our room and for our team.”
On the field it will be good for the Steelers to have Sutton back. Losing him last offseason to the Lions in free agency on a three-year, $33 million deal was a massive blow to the Steelers’ secondary. Pittsburgh pivoted and signed Patrick Peterson, but he was really up and down in 2023.
The Steelers also went and landed Joey Porter Jr. in the 2023 NFL Draft, getting that true No. 1 cornerback to build around moving forward in the secondary. After the struggles in the secondary last year, the Steelers went out and traded for Donte Jackson, but they still needed some additional help, particularly in the slot.
That’s where Sutton steps in.
During his time in Pittsburgh, he was able to comfortably move between outside and in the slot. He should be able to do that quickly again in his second go-round with the Steelers as the defense and the terminology hasn’t changed all that much – if at all.
In his time with Pittsburgh, Sutton played all over the defense and was that chess piece, especially in the 2022 season. He handled an outside role at times, played in the slot, and even had some reps at safety in sub-package football. That allowed the Steelers to move Minkah Fitzpatrick around in search of playmaking opportunities.
Sutton was quite good in that role in 2022, grading out at a 71.6 overall from Pro Football Focus in 931 snaps. That included allowing just 36 receptions for 411 yards and four touchdowns while breaking up eight passes and intercepting three.
He had some issues in Detroit playing primarily on the outside under Dan Campbell and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn. Now back in Pittsburgh, Sutton gets the opportunity to move back inside and move around a bit, which should unlock some good football for the veteran once again.
