The Pittsburgh Steelers defense has looked great the last few years and it's looking like a majority of the unit will be returning in 2021. Big names like JuJu Smith-Schuster and Bud Dupree are the most talked about and while they should be seen as top priorities this offseason, there's another player hitting free agency with a lot of value as well.
Although the 2020 season just concluded, free agency is approaching sooner than later and the Steelers owe it to themselves to re-sign cornerback Cameron Sutton as he showed impressive flashes at times this season. According to PFF, Sutton is the one player the Steelers "can't afford to lose." The 25-year old defensive back made six starts this past season and his performance throughout this campaign flew under the radar despite career bests in tackles (30), forced fumbles (3) and passes defended (8).
If Pittsburgh can sign Sutton to a seemingly team-friendly deal, it could be a tremendous move for them as he continues to grow and improve as a player. Since we don't have a lot to breakdown with playing time/opportunities being an issue for Sutton, going based on recency bias is the likely solution in a situation of this circumstance. That being the case, the Steelers should absolutely buy-in based on what they saw from Sutton after getting time with the starting unit.
Sutton's ceiling appears to be on the rise and the value of a strong cornerback in the league today with so many fantastic pass catchers is as high as ever. It's not rare for teams to have anywhere between two to four dangerous receivers and it's significantly important to have defensive players to match that talent. Sutton has age on his side as well as a great group of mentors around him in Joe Haden and Steven Nelson. With the direction he's headed, the decision to retain the rising star appears increasingly easier the closer free agency approaches.
What do you think #SteelerNation? Would you like to see Cam Sutton returning in black and gold? Leave your comments below!
