Tag: Cameron Sutton

1 pending free agent the Eagles should target from each AFC team

With the legal tampering period and NFL league year fast approaching, we’re looking at 1 pending free agent the Eagles should target from each AFC team

The Eagles won’t be major players in the free-agent market, but it’s always fun to take a hypothetical look at one player from every team.

Philadelphia agreed to a deal with Brandon Graham on Friday but is expected to lose Javon Hargrave, Fletcher Cox, James Bradberry, and C.J. Gardner-Johnson — among others — to lucrative deals.

It was also announced that Darius Slay was granted permission to seek a trade, further clouding up a transition period for one of the NFL’s top defenses in 2022.

With the new league year fast approaching, here’s one pending free agent from each AFC team that the Birds should target.

Raiders free agent fits at cornerback

Raiders free agent fits at cornerback

Few positions are more of a need this offseason for the Raiders than cornerback. With Rock Ya-Sin headed for free agency, they have just Nate Hobbs remaining as a proven talent. And with Hobbs’s best work coming in the slot, that means the Raiders will be looking for starters at both outside cornerback spots.

You’d have to think one of those spots will be filled with a free agent addition.

So, here are a few who could fill the need for them.

Steelers in contract talks with CB Cameron Sutton

Omar Khan offers a positive update on the contract talks with Cameron Sutton.

The top free-agent priority for the Pittsburgh Steelers this offseason is cornerback Cameron Sutton. Sutton took over as the team’s top cornerback after Joe Haden retired and while he wasn’t elite, played solid. Sutton did it at exactly the right time as he now enters free agency.

General manager Omar Khan told the media on Tuesday that the team and Sutton have already started discussions to see if the two sides can come together on a new contract for the 28-year-old cornerback.

“We think very highly of Cam and conversations have commenced,” Khan said. “We’ll see where it goes, just like all of our other free agents. Everything is on the table.”

This contract will be the one that dictates the rest of the offseason. If the two sides cannot come together and Sutton leaves, the focus of the front office can no longer be on just improving the offensive line. Getting a top cornerback, whether that is via the draft of free agency, will also be a top priority.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbydbzmnr1bhxef player_id=01eqbvhghtkmz2182d image=]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

ESPN’s top 50 free agent fit for 49ers doesn’t make much sense

This free agent fit for the #49ers doesn’t make a ton of practical sense.

The 49ers had a pair of players listed in ESPN’s top 50 NFL free agents. Only one of those 50 free agents was listed as a fit for the 49ers, and the choice doesn’t make a ton of sense.

In a free agent class that features some good safeties, defensive tackles and offensive tackles โ€“ three of San Francisco’s biggest offseason needs โ€“ ESPN’s Matt Bowen has Steelers cornerback Cameron Sutton (the No. 28 player on the list) pegged as a fit with the 49ers. Via Bowen:

Sutton will have multiple suitors given his flexibility to play in the slot; Tennessee, Atlanta and Las Vegas all work here. But with the number of 49ers defensive backs heading to free agency and Sutton’s ability to cover in man and find the ball in zone, the fit works in San Francisco with new defensive coordinator Steve Wilks. Sutton posted three interceptions and 15 pass breakups for the Steelers in 2022, which were both career highs.

It’s certainly true that the 49ers have a slew of defensive backs hitting free agency, but let’s take stock of those players.

Safeties Jimmie Ward, Tashaun Gipson and Tarvarius Moore are all free agents. Sutton is a corner so he won’t fill any void left by exits from this group.

Cornerbacks hitting the free agent market are Emmanuel Moseley, Dontae Johnson and Jason Verrett.

Verrett missed all of last season, and Johnson saw limited action in Week 6 and Week 14 before tearing his ACL. That leaves Moseley, who was a starter opposite Charvarius Ward before suffering an ACL tear in Week 5. General manager John Lynch during his end-of-season press conference expressed interest in re-signing Moseley.

Sutton on the open market will likely fetch a decent contract, especially if Bowen is right about multiple suitors making a play for the veteran cornerback. It’s hard to imagine the 49ers for the second consecutive year taking a sizable swing at CB, especially with other needs on the table and not a ton of cap space to work with.

A more likely scenario is the 49ers re-signing Moseley on a more affordable deal and lining him up as a starter on the outside with Deommodore Lenoir back in the slot.

Versatile CB depth is highly valuable on an NFL roster, but Sutton is a starting-caliber player. He’s more than likely out of the price range for what San Francisco needs at CB this offseason.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbxacb60r3mr0ac player_id=01eqbvhghtkmz2182d image=]

The Colts were gifted 2 fresh sets of downs by horrendous Steelers penalties, and still managed to screw it all up

In a close game, the Colts had a TD gifted to them on a platter. They still blew it.

In their hopeful battle back to .500 against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday night, it’s fair to say that Matt Ryan and the Indianapolis Colts ran into more than a few obstacles. (Some that were self-inflicted and historic.) Though, what happened in a bonkers late third-quarter sequence in the red zone might take the cake for getting in one’s own way.

While down 16-10, the Colts drove to the low red zone, but their drive stalled. They were forced to settle for a Chase McLaughlin 32-yard field goal. That is until an offsides penalty on Cameron Sutton gave Indianapolis an automatic first and a fresh set of downs:

Oof, a brutal play for Pittsburgh but a very lucky break for the Colts. Surely, they’d maximize it, no? Unfortunately, Indy still couldn’t do anything offensively from goal to go. But this time, a Minkah Fitzpatrick defensive pass interference on third down gave Indy another fresh set of downs.

Surely, from the one-yard line, the Colts would take advantage this time. Right? Right??? Oh, goodness. No, no. You underestimate the capabilities of an incompetent offense being gifted every opportunity and still blowing it.

Matt Ryan and Jonathan Taylor — your table is ready.

I want to make clear that I think the fumble is much more on Taylor. For being one of the NFL’s premier running backs, he seems to do a poor job of actually securing the ball once he gets the carry in his arms.

That said, how on earth did Ryan not recover this fumble? He had it in his arms! He could’ve avoided complete disaster for the Colts in a tight game!

Alas.

Wild, inexplicable sequences in the clutch like this clearly illustrate to me why the Colts are multiple games below .500. And after losing 24-17 to Pittsburgh, you have to think Indianapolis will be kicking themselves for a little while over what happened on this wild possession.

Bengals’ offense enters disaster phase with Joe Burrow’s third first-half interception

Joe Burrow’s 2022 season started off as badly as it possibly could, with three first-half interceptions and a fumble.

We already had one post about the defending AFC champion Cincinnati Bengals’ offense falling completely apart in their season opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers, but at this rate, we’re going to have to put a new wing on the house.

At this point, the Bengals have had five drives. They have ended as follows: Interception, field goal, fumble, interception, interception. Joe Burrow was responsible for the fumble, and for all three interceptions. Not what you’d expect from the NFL MVP candidate, but Burrow will have to do a lot of digging his way out of his first first half of the 2022 season.

Here’s how it’s all gone down.

Burrow’s 2021 season ended with a fourth-down pressure by Aaron Donald in Super Bowl LVI. Burrow’s 2022 season didn’t start any more auspiciously.

With 12:43 left in the first quarter of the Bengals’ home opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Burrow tried to hit receiver Tyler Boyd on second-and-15 from his own 17-yard line. It was second-and-15 because Cameron Heyward, the Steelers’ version of Donald, took Burrow down on first down.

So, on second down, Burrow tried to get this going, with less than optimal results.

Clearly, Burrow didn’t see Steelers super-safety Minkah Fitzpatrick ready to close on the ball, and that’s just bad internal scouting. Fitzpatrick has had those kinds of plays on lock for years now.

On Cincinnati’s third drive, edge-rusher Alex Highsmith forced Burrow to heave the ball up in the air, and Heyward came down with the pick.

And… on Cincinnati’s FOURTH drive, Burrow tried this pass, which was intercepted at the line of scrimmage by T.J. Watt, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year.

Okay… deep breath here. On Cincinnati’s FIFTH drive, Burrow tried to hit Boyd again, and this time, cornerback Cam Sutton came away with it. This is getting ridiculous, people.

Burrow has always been aggressive to a fault, but it’s been nothing but faults in the Queen City so far.

The Bengals might need a mercy role at this rate, and the Steelers’ defense is entirely on point.

6 potentially inexpensive free agent candidates for the Cardinals

The Cardinals may not have a ton of cap room this offseason – here are six players that could help and not cost a ton of cap space.

The Arizona Cardinals enter the NFL offseason without a lot of money to spend on free agency. They do not have that much cap space. That could change with a few moves, but those may or may not happen, and there are a few holes the Cardinals could look to fill.

Since they might not be able to target many higher-priced free agents, here are some potentially less expensive free agents they could target next month.


VFLs in the NFL: Week 17 recap

These VFLs were in action in the NFL’s regular season finale.

The NFL regular season has concluded and playoff matchups are set.

A few former Tennessee players were inactive Sunday, including Eagles defensive end Derek Barnett and Saints running back Alvin Kamara.

Several others played, and in some cases, closed out their 2020 campaigns.

The following is a recap of how every VFL performed in their regular season finale.

VFLs in the NFL: Week 13 recap

These former Tennessee standouts were in action over the NFL weekend.

Week 13 of the National Football League is complete.

Week 13 showcased games taken place on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday due to schedule adjustments with COVID-19 protocols.

Several former Vols were in action for their respective teams. Below is a recap of every VFL that registered a statistic in Week 13 of the NFL.

VFLs in the NFL: Week 12 recap

VFLs in the NFL: Week 12 Recap

Week 12 in the NFL was extended through Wednesday.

Two games took place on Thanksgiving to start the week, and the final game was played nearly a week later as the Ravens and Steelers finally faced off.

Several former Vols were in action over the weekend, with a few standout performances mixed in. Here is a recap of how VFLs fared in the NFL Week 12.