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Cameron Sutton reached an agreement to join the Detroit Lions on Monday, March 13, and as soon as the news broke, the reactions started flying in.
Fans and analysts alike loved the move to put Sutton in the needy Detroit backfield for 2023, and their glee may only improve when they hear what Cameron Heyward has to say about the cornerback.
Heyward, a six-time Pro Bowler with the Pittsburgh Steelers and three-time first-team All-Pro, is Pittsburgh royalty. His father Craig Heyward was a 10 year pro, and his brother Connor Heyward has continued the tradition.
Before the offseason, Heyward was asked by Dave Dameshek on NFL.com on the Minus Three Podcast about who his favorite teammates were. Without much hesitation, Heyward name-dropped Sutton, a player he praised for not only his versatility, but the mean mindset he plays with.
“I really like Cam Sutton. He’s a free agent this year. There’s so many different things Cam does that go unnoticed. He can play nickel, he can play outside, he can play the dime. The fact that you can move him around, and he plays with a little bit of a mean streak, he’s a guy I really do appreciate,” Heyward says in the clip, posted by Dameshek on Twitter.
After the signing, many have praised what Sutton will bring to the mix for the Lions, and the word versatility has come up a lot in reference to the player. Sutton can play inside and out, and has some fantastic ball skills.
Perhaps more notable to this conversation is the edge he plays with, which Heyward referenced. The Lions are building a tough team under Dan Campbell, so to hear Sutton is physical and plays with an edge is not a surprise.
It’s clear Heyward thinks the world of a man who is set to jump into Detroit’s backfield to play a big role for the team.
Cameron Sutton Praised for Work With Steelers
Sutton’s work in Pittsburgh has been very impressive in many different ways, and the shockwaves of his departure were being felt well after the agreement was revealed.
As Steelers beat writer Mark Kaboly tweeted, one of the traits that Sutton is most known for are his smarts. That’s something most within the Pittsburgh organization at every level understand.
Every single player, coach, front office guy on the Steelers say the same thing about Cam Sutton — smartest player on the field.
“Every single player, coach, front office guy on the Steelers say the same thing about Cam Sutton — smartest player on the field,” Kaboly tweeted.
All of this combined to make those who cover the Steelers very frustrated to lose Sutton, a key piece of the defense. As Josh Carney of Steelers Depot tweeted, Sutton is going to serve as a major loss for the team’s secondary in 2023.
The #Steelers took a gamble on Cameron Sutton re-signing and very clearly lost that gamble. Thought for sure the team would get him locked up to a multi-year extension before tampering window opened.
Big, big loss. He did so much for that defense the last two years.
“The Steelers took a gamble on Cameron Sutton re-signing and very clearly lost that gamble. Thought for sure the team would get him locked up to a multi-year extension before tampering window opened. Big, big loss. He did so much for that defense the last two years,” Carney tweeted.
The loss of Sutton is clearly going to be felt across the Pittsburgh locker room in a variety of ways.
Cameron Sutton’s New Contract With Lions
Early after the tampering period opened, the Lions struck to add Sutton, formally of the Pittsburgh Steelers, to a new deal to take over in their backfield.
News of the agreement with Sutton was first reported by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport on Monday, March 13.
Source: The #Lions are signing Cam Sutton to a 3-year deal worth $33M with $22.5M guaranteed.
“Source: The Lions are signing Cam Sutton to a 3-year deal worth $33M with $22.5M guaranteed,” Rapoport tweeted.
In college, Sutton was productive for the Volunteers given he racked up 127 tackles and seven interceptions. He also had one touchdown and 30 passes defended to go with three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries while in school.
Coming to the NFL, things haven’t been different. Sutton has produced stats in the league as well, with 158 tackles, two sacks, seven interceptions and five forced fumbles since he burst on the scene with Pittsburgh.
The move guaranteed the Lions would land one of the top cornerbacks during free agency, and did so for a very respectable price. The Lions will pay Sutton around $11 million next year to play cornerback for the team.
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Top Steeler Explains Genius of Lions Adding ‘Favorite Teammate’ Cam Sutton