Top Free Agent CB Cam Sutton Chooses Lions over Vikings
Josh Frey
|
Throughout the early portions of the NFL offseason, we here at PurplePTSD had one free agent on our minds for the Vikings more than any other: CB Cam Sutton. With both Patrick Peterson and Duke Shelley hitting free agency this offseason, and the Vikings cutting Cameron Dantzler, adding a veteran cornerback seemed imperative in free agency.
That, along with the hire of Brian Flores as defensive coordinator, who spent the 2022 season in Pittsburgh with Sutton, made the former Steeler an obvious option for the Vikings this offseason. However, a mere hour and a half after the start of the negotiation period, that dream is already dead.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that Sutton has not only reached a contract agreement already, but he is joining a Vikings division rival: the Detroit Lions.
The contract Sutton is signing with the Lions is for three years and worth $33 million with $22.5 million guaranteed. This news comes just minutes after another top free agent CB, Jonathan Jones, went off the board by agreeing to a two-year/$20 million contract with the Patriots to remain in New England.
Sutton becomes a potential cornerstone piece for a young Detroit Lions defense as they hope to improve upon their 9-8 record from 2022. In that campaign, they joined the Vikings amongst the worst defenses in the NFL, tying Minnesota for the third-most points allowed in the league.
Meanwhile, the Vikings still have a few options to target at the cornerback position during free agency. Names like Jamal Dean, James Bradberry, and Rock Ya-Sin remain atop our own Kyle Joudry’s free agency “big board” for the Vikings.
Of course, they could opt to grab another cornerback in the 2023 NFL Draft as well. A few names that could be available in the first round at No. 23 overall could include Maryland’s Deonte Banks, Georgia’s Kelee Ringo, and South Carolina’s Cam Smith. Banks in particular has been a popular choice for the Vikings in recent mock drafts.
Regardless, the Vikings need to find more options at the CB position. Currently, they employ a quartet of cornerbacks named Kalon Barnes, Andrew Booth, Akayleb Evans, and Tay Gowan. These four players have started a combined three games at the NFL level, and none of them have more than two years of NFL experience.
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho with a bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.