Steelers complete their roster revamp in the secondary with CB Cam Sutton

One year after being outbid for Cam Sutton in free agency by the Detroit Lions, the former Steelers cornerback is back in Pittsburgh. Sutton is signing a one-year contract with the Steelers for the veteran minimum.

This decision comes less than three months after the Lions cut Sutton as a warrant was issued for his arrest in a domestic violence case. The charges against the veteran CB have been downgraded from a felony to a misdemeanor, but he is still subject to discipline from the league.

This move didn't come out of the blue, as Mike Tomlin previously reached out to Sutton during the offseason. Now the signing has been made official, according to his agent David Canter, who shared a post on social media confirming the news.

The decision to sign Sutton is sure to be met with controversy following his arrest and domestic battery charge. Looking at this strictly from a football standpoint, however, it's hard to argue that Sutton isn't a major improvement over what this team had.

After struggling with Chandon Sullivan and Patrick Peterson at slot cornerback last year, the Steelers were aiming to count on a player like underwhelming veteran Anthony Averett, journeyman Josiah Scott, or undrafted rookie Beanie Bishop to fill the role. Now this will be Sutton's job in 2024.

Sutton was always at his best when playing as a nickel and dime defender. This probably explains why he struggled as a boundary cornerback for the Lions in 2023. Now he will revert back to the role in which he is most proven.

Steelers secondary got a makeover during the 2024 offseason

This was the final missing piece to Pittsburgh's secondary, and the addition of Sutton gives fans hope that this will be a much-improved unit in 2024.

In addition to reuniting with Cam Sutton, the Steelers received veteran CB Donte Jackson in the Diontae Johnson trade and signed safety DeShon Elliott in free agency.

Jackson will replace a lackluster combination of Levi Wallace and Patrick Peterson, who played opposite of Joey Porter Jr. for most of the 2023 season. Meanwhile, Elliott will replace Keanu Neal, who remains unsigned in free agency and will kick veteran Damontae Kazee to the bench.

Essentially, the Steelers swapped Sullivan for Sutton, Peterson for Jackson, and Neal for Elliott. It's impossible to argue that their secondary is worse on paper. The question becomes: will their improvements translate to the field?

Much of this could be determined by health. Donte Jackson routinely has trouble staying on the field and DeShon Elliott has a history of injuries. If this group can avoid the injury bug, they have enough talent and experience to mesh quickly and become a good starting secondary.

The options at slot cornerback in free agency were practically non-existent, so it's not hard to see why the Steelers were in favor of a reunion with Cam Sutton. Let's hope he can put the legal issues behind him as he looks to make an impact in Pittsburgh in 2024.