What will it cost to keep the Steelers top in-house free agent?

There is no denying that the Pittsburgh Steelers roster is largely set for next season. This is a young, talented team with potential stars at multiple key positions and established stars at others. One position where this isn’t really the case is cornerback.

The position has been a mixed bag for Pittsburgh for years. Whether it is the draft or free agency, there seems to be no rhyme or reason for which guys hit and which guys miss. With almost all the misses coming via the draft.

Except for Cameron Sutton. In his sixth season, Sutton finally broke out and turned in the best performance of his career. Sutton graded out at 71.6 for the season which ranked him among the top cornerbacks in the AFC.

All this has happened at the perfect time for Sutton as he heads into the offseason as an unrestricted free agent. Sutton must be the team’s top in-house priority because of the lack of certainty with guys like Ahkello Witherspoon and William Jackson III. But what will it cost to keep him?

According to Sportrac, Sutton’s market value sits at $7.6 million as an annual salary. They project Sutton to get a three-year, $22.9 million deal. This would rank 30th among cornerbacks.

If the Steelers could get Sutton this cheap, they have to go for it. But given how the NFL is pushing so hard to make life easier on the offenses, specifically the passing game, you have to assume Sutton will end up with more than this. The only question is whether it’s the Steelers cutting that check or some other team.