Steelers disaster #2: Letting Cameron Sutton go
I was fairly confident that the Steelers would lock up Cameron Sutton before he became a free agent, but the new league year came and went and the Lions made an aggressive move to bring in the veteran defensive back. This was a blow to this secondary, as Sutton had developed into a great starter who could play inside and outside.
The Steelers instead signed veteran Patrick Peterson, a move I have been far more skeptical of. While the veteran is a big name, he is also older, doesn’t fit a man scheme anymore, and seemingly was expected to move around as Sutton did. While talent can overcome schemes at times, Peterson's age made me question if this was a prudent move.
Peterson has been as expected. He has had his fair share of struggles but has also made some solid plays. Levi Wallace, meanwhile, has been a trainwreck. Even coming off a two-interception game, his tackling and coverage have been lackluster. Sutton, meanwhile, has been his usual consistent self for the Lions.
Considering the Steelers secondary has struggled through three weeks, having a steady presence like Sutton would have been a big help. His versatility helps him cover up multiple different holes on the defense, and the team is lacking that this season. Sutton wouldn’t have fixed everything, but this defense would have been better with him this year.