Steelers 2-a-days: CB Cameron Sutton, WR Ryan Switzer seek defined roles in contract year
Editor’s note: Leading up to a unique Pittsburgh Steelers training camp staged at Heinz Field this year, the Tribune-Review will be running through the team’s 90-man roster, assessing each player’s outlook for the 2020 season. The breakdown will go through the roster, in mostly alphabetical order, two per day, between June 9 and July 23, a day that was originally planned to be reporting day for players to camp. (Contract data courtesy spotrac.com)
CB CAMERON SUTTON
Experience: 4th season
Contract status: $1.01 million cap hit in 2020, to be unrestricted free agent after season
2020 outlook: Sutton has had a peculiar career. The 2017 third-round pick is arguably the best cornerback the Steelers have drafted since at least 2011 and he has the respect of his coaches and teammates, who like his versatility, professionalism and savvy. But that’s translated into playing less than 20% of the Steelers’ defensive snaps over the course of his career. Barring injury or a new schematic wrinkle in 2020, that figures to remain the case with a strong veteran duo of Joe Haden and Steven Nelson ahead of Sutton on the positional depth chart.
Bottom line: In some ways, perhaps Sutton’s versatility has hindered him in that he has shown he can play everything from outside corner to the slot to dime safety and even hybrid linebacker. If all the “starting” spots are locked down by reliable players, the Steelers like having Sutton to use at different places. The release of inside linebacker Mark Barron potentially avails more snaps to defensive backs this season, and Sutton could be the biggest beneficiary. But unless he surpasses Mike Hilton to become the starter at nickel back, Sutton might have trouble seeing the field as much as he would like to show his worth heading into free agency.
Ryan Switzer will see the player he's hoping to model his game after on the opposite side of the field Sunday night. #Steelers #Patriots https://t.co/yn7iHup0g3
— Tribune-ReviewSports (@TribSports) September 6, 2019
WR RYAN SWITZER
Experience: 4th season
Contract status: $825,000 cap hit in 2020, to be unrestricted free agent after season
2020 outlook: Picked up toward the end of the 2018 training camp, Switzer ended up a significant part of the offense as the top slot receiver and third-down specialist that season. Then he played a career-high 69% of the Steelers’ offensive snaps in the opener last season. But Ben Roethlisberger did not play the rest of the season after halftime of Week 2, and Switzer was relegated to just 22 offensive snaps himself. His season ended on the injured reserve list because of a back injury.
Bottom line: Roethlisberger’s return in 2020 could portend to a rebirth of Switzer’s usage in the offense, as he clearly has the trust of the veteran quarterback. But Diontae Johnson’s emergence as an All Pro-level punt returner hurts Switzer, as does the numbers game at receiver. Barring injury, four WR spots are accounted for. That leaves Switzer competing with five others for what might only be one spot.
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Chris Adamski is a TribLive reporter who has covered primarily the Pittsburgh Steelers since 2014 following two seasons on the Penn State football beat. A Western Pennsylvania native, he joined the Trib in 2012 after spending a decade covering Pittsburgh sports for other outlets. He can be reached at cadamski@triblive.com.
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