Courtland Sutton wants to be more than a one-trick pony
Jul 24, 2019, 9:01 PM
Last year at this time, Courtland Sutton was the toast of town. On a daily basis, the rookie wide receiver was making a circus catch during training camp, providing the fans in attendance plenty to cheer and the media covering the team someone to hype.
Fast forward 12 months, however, and the tune is different. This season, Sutton isn’t making a highlight-reel play on a daily basis. In fact, he’s earning more jeers than cheers, mostly because of repeated dropped passes during practice.
“Drops in our position are unacceptable at any level, whether it’s routes on air, 7-on-7 or team,” Sutton said on Wednesday afternoon about the problem that’s plagued him and his fellow wideouts during the first week of training damp. “Whatever the period is, drops in our position are really unacceptable. So, when we hear everybody saying, ‘Oh, that’s unacceptable,’ we already know that. Thank you for reminding us.”
But before two much is made of the second-year wide receiver’s supposed drop off in “production,” it’s best to evaluate what’s actually going on. Instead of worrying about making one big play per day, Sutton is using training camp to hone his game.
“I think practice is structured a little bit different,” Sutton explained. “(Vic) Fangio is attacking practice in a different way. A lot of those 50-50 balls you all saw came in 1-on-1s. Right now, coach knows that’s something that I have in my arsenal. It’s like, ‘Why keep being that horse? Add something to the game, don’t just be a one-trick pony.’ That was something I did a lot last camp. But that was last camp. We’re moving onto this year and being able to bring new things into the game so it’s not just being a one-trick pony.”
Last season, the wide receiver was essentially a one-dimensional threat. That’s something he’s tried to work on this year.
“One big thing I wanted to work on was being able to run every route on the route tree,” Sutton added. “Last year, I said that I was able to run every route on the route tree. But going back and watching the film, there were a lot of tells that I was giving away that made it hard for me to run those routes on the tree.”
That diversity will help Sutton be a better receiver.
“I really worked on being able to run all the intermediate routes, that I wouldn’t just be a guy that’s known for going deep on the outside,” he added. “That’s still something I have in my arsenal, but I want to be able to run all those routes so that it can set up those big-shot plays.”
This year’s practices have a goal in mind. Sutton is trying to eliminate his weaknesses, instead of just building upon his strengths.
“I appreciate Rich (Scangarello) giving me those opportunities to go out there and fine tune my craft and be able to show that I can run all those intermediate routes and get those first downs, keep the chains moving,” the wideout continued. “Without it just being a deep post, deep go, or something like that.”
While this approach might make training camp a little less exciting, it’s hopefully going to make a difference during the season. Last year’s August highlights didn’t translate to the field in September, largely because opposing defensive backs knew what was coming.
“(I don’t want to be) a guy where they are like, ‘Oh, 14 is in, he’s able to go deep,’” Sutton explained. “You probably won’t hear too many DBs saying that (this season). I can get in and out of any route and that’s one thing I’m just really trying to incorporate into my game.”
Sutton has always been a threat on 50-50 jump balls and deep routes. Now, he’s trying to become a player who can impact the game all over the field.
That transformation is a work in progress, something that will take time. But the wideout believes he has the right coaches to show him the way.
“Coach Z (Zach Azzanni) is on my butt about making sure that I’m not having any tells and that I am being really critical of my game tape and my practice tape,” Sutton said. “(He’s) making sure that I don’t just say, ‘Hey, I made the catch,’ or, ‘Hey, I got open.’ Well, did the DB slip? Did I lean? What was going on in that route to help me get to that point? So just being really critical of it and being able to add most of those routes to my game.”
Now, those of us watching practice just have to be patient. It’s not about dominating in July and August; it’s about producing when the leaves start to fall, the days get shorter and the temperatures drop.
The work needed is put in now, even if it’s not always a lot of fun to watch.
