Mike Tomlin: 'Everybody is on notice' in Steelers secondary
The Pittsburgh Steelers recently got a key part of their secondary back with the return of veteran cornerback Cameron Sutton. He'll see his first action of the season today after being suspended for the first eight games for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy.
It prompted the question: What is Pittsburgh's plan for him? After all, rookie free agent Beanie Bishop has come on as of late with three interceptions in two games, a performance which earned him Rookie Defensive Player for October.
"That's to be determined," Mike Tomlin said on Tuesday about the plan for Sutton, "but I think that's one of the things that makes Cam so interesting and valuable to us. He is a utility back. His football intellect and physical capabilities are such that he can play anywhere, and he has to be quite honest with you. His last year for us, he was an outside corner. He was a nickel; he was a dime. He was capable of playing safety at times and allowing Minkah [Fitzpatrick] to move around and come down and do other things and that versatility, that utility component is a major attraction to us."
Given Sutton's experience and versatility, seeing how Teryl Austin uses Bishop going forward will be interesting. But one thing is for certain: Tomlin put secondary personnel on notice. Each player -- not only Bishop -- will have to work that much harder to maintain their usage.
"I know there's been a lot of speculation, to be quite honest with you, about how he and Beanie might function. It is really two separate discussions. Cam is capable of playing anywhere in the secondary, and so if people need to be concerned about reps or divisional labor, I would advise everybody in the secondary to be on notice because Cam is that versatile."
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This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Mike Tomlin: 'Everybody is on notice' in Steelers secondary
