Free agent-to-be Cameron Sutton shows value starting at outside CB for Steelers in playoffs

Pro Football Focus keeps track of the spots on the field where players line up on a snap-by-snap basis. For Cameron Sutton, the list is lengthy.

Fitting for a player who has filled so many roles for the Pittsburgh Steelers in recent years.

Sutton is in line to make his fourth start at outside cornerback in less than a month when the Steelers host the Cleveland Browns in a wild-card game Sunday. It would be the first career postseason start for Sutton, who made six of his eight career regular-season starts in 2020.

“You live for these moments like this,” Sutton said during a video call with media Friday. “We know playoffs is another season of its own, it’s a different elevation of what you play … in the season.”

Sutton’s moments this season have included playing as a hybrid dime linebacker. They’ve included plenty of play — including two starts — as the nickel slot corner. They’ve included full games as the starting left cornerback and full games as the starting right cornerback.

According to PFF, throughout the regular season Sutton played 271 snaps in the slot, 154 as a wide corner, 86 “in the box” (linebacker/strong safety), 26 as a free safety and even 12 along the defensive line.

Why is Cameron Sutton viewed as being so valuable to the #Steelers defense?

Perhaps because the number of positions he can play. https://t.co/FwDzG2N8vR

— Tribune-ReviewSports (@TribSports) November 17, 2020

“Cam has learned the defense, knows the defense,” defensive coordinator Keith Butler said. “He knows what everyone is doing, he knows where his help is and that is probably the biggest thing for him in terms of playing the position the way he has played it is because he knows what he has beside him and what’s behind him. That always helps when you have players like that.”

Sutton’s starts during last week’s regular-season finale and (presumably) in the playoff opener Sunday are in place of veteran Joe Haden, who remains on the reserve/covid-19 list. Sutton started in place of the Steelers’ other outside CB, Steven Nelson, Dec. 7 against Washington. For 5 ½ games earlier this season, Sutton filled in for Mike Hilton as the main option in the slot.

A free agent after the season ends, odds are that one of the other 31 teams will value Sutton as a full-time starter at one spot or another. That means Sunday perhaps is the final of his 54 games in the black-and-gold.

But as a free agent, at least in theory, Sutton would have as much of a preference in what position he wants to play as he does in what team he wants to join.

“I don’t want to even limit myself to say I want to play just one position,” Sutton said. “Inside. Outside, I don’t care. It really don’t matter, that’s as simple as I ever want to put it.”

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