Steelers: 3 worst moves of the 2023 offseason

Worst offseason moves for the Steelers: 1. Effectively swapping Patrick Peterson for Cameron Sutton

Cameron Sutton was the best cornerback the Steelers had last season. Letting him go to the Lions for a very reasonable three-year deal worth $33 million was a serious error by the Steelers’ front office.

The team compounded the error by giving Patrick Peterson a two-year, $14 million deal to replace him. He’s still a decent cornerback but his skills are clearly on the decline as he enters his age 33 season. It’s very possible he falls off enough that he’s a below-average starter as soon as next season.

The only good news here is that Pittsburgh did spend a second-round pick on Joey Porter, Jr. to strengthen their cornerback room. Peterson can serve as a quality mentor for the former Penn State star. Sutton could have done the same thing while playing much better football for Pittsburgh.

At best, the Steelers can hope that Peterson holds up as an adequate starter this season before seeing his role diminish in 2024. That’s a terrible proposition for a team that let an above-average cornerback depart in free agency. This could be a trade that dooms the Steelers to mediocrity on defense this season.