With preseason winding down, Cam Sutton may be only option for Steelers at nickel corner spot
The Pittsburgh Steelers view the versatile Cam Sutton as the best option to fill the slot cornerback position this season.
Sutton also happens to be — with the final preseason game fast approaching — the only option for the job.
Entering training camp, veteran free agent Arthur Maulet and second-year safety Antoine Brooks Jr. alternated snaps with the first-team defense as the Steelers auditioned players to replace Mike Hilton as the slot position.
Brooks, who was hurt in the Hall of Fame Game, was removed from the equation Tuesday when he was cut with a waived/injured designation. Maulet played only two defensive snaps Saturday against Detroit before leaving with an ankle injury. He has not practiced the past two days.
That essentially has left Sutton as the last man standing.
“We all know he can do it,” said Teryl Austin, the Steelers senior defensive assistant in charge of the secondary. “We really want to see what we’ve got with the other guys, but we got pressed into a situation where we’ve been down some guys.”
Maulet, who is listed as day-to-day, also is trying to earn a role after signing with the Steelers in free agency. He started 11 games in the secondary over the past two seasons with the New York Jets and played about one-third of all defensive snaps.
“I’d like to see them both in this game,” said Austin, who was interviewed prior to Brooks getting cut. “It would really help in terms of evaluation and of somebody trying to earn a spot. Obviously, we do have some practice reps behind us with these guys, so if we did have to make a determination, if they couldn’t make the game, that would be one thing.
“You’d like to see guys in game circumstances. Practice is easier sometimes because you’re comfortable going against the guys you are practicing against. Going into a game and playing against different guys, they react differently. Games are important for that reason. We would like to see them in a game.”
Brooks no longer is an option, and Maulet’s absence likely removes him from participation against the Panthers.
Joe Rutter is a TribLive reporter who has covered the Pittsburgh Steelers since the 2016 season. A graduate of Greensburg Salem High School and Point Park, he is in his fifth decade covering sports for the Trib. He can be reached at jrutter@triblive.com.
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