Detroit Lions sign CB Cam Sutton in NFL free agency: 'The smartest player I ever coached'

The Detroit Lions wasted little time getting help for their subpar secondary in 2023 NFL free agency.

The Lions agreed to a three-year contract with former Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Cam Sutton, the Free Press confirmed Monday. The deal, which maxes out at $33 million and includes $22.5 million guaranteed, was finalized less than two hours into the free agent negotiating period.

Free agents cannot officially sign with other teams until the 2023 league year opens at 4 p.m. Wednesday.

The Lions entered the offseason intent on fixing a defensive backfield that was considered the weak link of their NFL-worst defense in 2022, and in Sutton, added a player one-time Steelers defensive backs coach Tom Bradley once said "might be the smartest player I ever coached in all my years."

The Lions ranked 31st in yards allowed per pass play (7.5) and 30th in passing yards allowed per game (245.8) last season, and could lose as many as three of their top five cornerbacks — Mike Hughes, Amani Oruwariye and Will Harris — to free agency.

Jeff Okudah, the No. 3 pick of the 2020 draft, lost his starting job late last season, and the Lions had just three interceptions by cornerbacks in 2022.

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Sutton, a third-round pick out of Tennessee in 2017, had a career-high three interceptions last season and has played progressively better over his six-year career.

He spent most of his first three seasons in Pittsburgh as a backup, played as a part-time starter in 2020 and was the Steelers' best cornerback the past two years. Last season, Sutton, 28, held opposing quarterbacks to a 47.9% completion percentage and 65.3 passer rating, according to Pro Football Reference.

Sutton can play slot or outside cornerback, but projects as the No. 1 corner next season for a Lions team that likely has more moves to make in the secondary.

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Okudah, fellow starter Jerry Jacobs and rookie backup Chase Lucas remain under contract for 2023, but safety DeShon Elliott could leave in free agency, safety Tracy Walker is returning from a torn Achilles tendon, and the Lions will need to find a new slot corner for sub packages if they do not re-sign Harris.

The Lions have two first-round draft picks and five of the first 81 selections overall, and could use one of those choices on defensive back help in what is considered a strong cornerback draft.

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Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn said at the NFL combine in early March he believed in building a defense through the defensive line and cornerback positions.

"You can never have enough of those guys," Glenn said. "You can never have enough guys that (are) stout and can play the run. You can never have enough guys that can get after the passer. You can never have enough guys that can cover elite receivers. We all understand how this league is going now. We have to do everything we can to continue to add and upgrade, and every team does that."

The NFL's 28th-highest-graded cornerback last season by Pro Football Focus, Sutton is the Lions' biggest free agent addition — and just the second free agent to sign a multi-year deal with the team (along with Jamaal Williams) — since general manager Brad Holmes and head coach Dan Campbell took over in 2021.

Campbell said last week the Lions' goal this free-agent period was, simply, to get better.

"Let’s find a guy that can serve a certain type of role for us,” he said. “He’s somebody that’s maybe played some ball, he can start at a certain position for us, but we don’t need to acquire, man, these high-level blue (-chip players), you’re paying the most for these guys cause they’re rated the No. 1 guy in free agency at that position. We just need to get better. Let’s just get better in an area that we need to get better at and focus on that. I think that’s always been the focus.”

NFL Network was first to report the Sutton deal.

Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Lions sign CB Cam Sutton: 'Smartest player I ever coached'