NFL Free Agency: Cameron Sutton signs three-year deal with Detroit Lions

After spending the first six years of his career in the National Football League with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Cameron Sutton finally learned where he’ll be playing football during the 2023 season. According to Ian Rapoport, Sutton will be joining the Detroit Lions.

Sutton’s contract with Detroit is a three-year deal worth $33 million, $22.5 million of which is guaranteed. In 16 games last season with the Steelers, Sutton snatched three interceptions and racked up 43 total tackles.

He was originally selected in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers and he continued to play there for the next six years of pro career. In 84 games played, Sutton has racked up 168 tackles, two sacks, six forced fumbles, and eight interceptions. Not only that, he’s also tallied 38 passes defended, including 15 last year for Pittsburgh–by far the highest number of his career.

Cameron Sutton also starred as a punt returner in college

He played his college football with the Tennessee Volunteers, where he wrapped up his prolific career there as the school’s all-time leader with 37 passes defended (30 pass breakups, seven interceptions). Sutton also earned first team All-American honors from the Sporting News in 2015. Not only was he a dynamic cornerback, but he showed off his explosive playmaking ability as a punt returner, setting the school single-season record for punt return yards (467 yards).

More on the 2023 NFL offseason, free agency

The NFL 2023 calendar year is set to begin at 4 p.m. ET on March 15 when contracts running through 2022 will officially run out, making those players free agents. Prior to the beginning of free agency, teams will have a chance to designate one franchise or transition tag player, starting on Feb. 21 at 4 p.m. ET and ending on March 7. Beginning March 13 through March 15 teams will be allowed a legal negotiation with players who are set to become unrestricted free agents.

In addition to NFL free agency, the new year also marks the beginning of all trades being made official by the league office. April 21 marks the deadline to sign restricted free agents to offer sheets while April 26 marks the deadline for teams to match restricted free agent offers sheets. 722 players are slated to become free agents in 2023.

More on restricted, exclusive rights free agents

Players with only three years of accredited NFL experience become restricted free agents. Their original team will have the option to apply first-round, second-round, original-round, and right-of-fight-of-first-refusal tenders on players at escalating price tags. The higher the round, the more expensive the tender amount; however, if a separate team does offer a contract and the original team does not match that round pick will be conveyed from the new team to the original team. Right of first refusal only gives a team the option to match or not. If they don’t match, they get nothing in return. An original-round tender would send a draft pick from whatever round the player was drafted back to the original team if they chose not to match. The original team will have five days to match once a player signs an offer sheet from a new team.