How Steelers can compensate for Sutton loss

PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – With the suspension of Cam Sutton for the first eight days of the season, what are the Steelers options at nickel?

The Sutton signing made all the sense for the Steelers on-field needs. There are options including a free agent signed from Houston, a trio of former Steelers are available or they could get creative.

Trust your current roster

The Steelers don’t have currently and won’t list a two-deep roster until right before the first pre-season game. Likely the starter at nickel would be Grayland Arnold . He played a little with the Eagles as a rookie and spent the last three seasons with the Texans playing 20 games. Last year he played 143 defensive snaps (43%) and 60% of the snaps on special teams. He’s 5’10”, 187 pounds and undrafted out of Baylor. He has 33 career tackles, two for loss and a forced fumble. Arnold has been targeted 14 times in his career and allowed 12 receptions.

West Virginia’s Beanie Bishop was an undrafted free agent which several who have played nickel have gone this route as it is normally the undersized corner that plays here. At 5’10”, 184 pounds Bishop was a consensus All-American with the Mountaineers in 2023 leading the team with four interceptions and the third-leading tackler (67, 54 solo). Steelers have been high on him but he has no NFL experience.

Josiah Scott has the most NFL experience. Undrafted out of Michigan State, the 5’9”, 185-pound corner has played 39 NFL games and started four. In 2021-22, he played in 29 games for the Eagles with 38 tackles and a pair of interceptions. Most of those snaps on special teams, although he played 388 defensive snaps in 2022. Last year limited to four games and 17 opportunities on defense.

After being drafted late in 2023, Corey Trice is intriguing for his potential versatility, however he missed his entire rookie season due to injury and played nearly exclusively at corner during OTAs and mini-camp.

Former Steelers

There are three very familiar with the Steelers scheme including a pair who were with the team last year. Patrick Peterson has strong ties to Mike Tomlin and showed the willingness to play corner, slot or at the end of the year safety in 2023. His football IQ is off-the-charts and he seemed to have a rapport with his teammates, especially corner Joey Porter, Junior. He turns 34 on Thursday and started 16 games for the Steelers last year with 11 passes defended (fourth best in his career) with 42 tackles and a pair of interceptions in 1,096 snaps.

The Steelers released corner Ahkello Witherspoon in the last year of his contract last May which saved $4 million against the cap. There were injury concerns over his pair of seasons with the Steelers, but he played and started all 17 games for the Rams last year with three interceptions and 14 passes defensed. He’s known more for his run defense, but is decent in coverage. He’s played 77 games in his career, starting 57.

By all accounts at the end of the year, Chandon Sullivan was playing pretty good football with the Steelers. In his first year with the team, the 27-year-old played in over half of the defensive snaps in the last three games, all wins, including 70% of the snaps against the Bengals and Ravens. Sullivan finished with six tackles, two passes defended and a tackle for loss in those three games.

Play more safety

Then there is the option of being more creative. Steelers Defensive Coordinator Teryl Austin discussed last year playing three safeties with Minkah Fitzpatrick , Keanu Neal and Damontae Kazee . Substitute DaShon Elliott for Neal and they could look at that option again. Linebacker Payton Wilson has safety-type speed, is there the potential to find a role for him in passing situations?

The benefit of the early suspension ruling and lack of appeal is the Steelers have time to prepare. Unlike an eight-game suspension coming in camp or right before the season starts, the team has a few weeks to come up with a plan before the team reports on July 24.