The Steelers might have the answer to Artie Burns' struggles at cornerback that seem to crop up every few games.
It might be just getting Burns, a former first-round draft pick to play with more consistency.
Or, it might be replacing him with 2017 third-round pick Cameron Sutton.
Problem is, right now, Sutton is too valuable at other jobs for the Steelers (3-2-1) to think about moving him right now, even though they're in a bye week.
"Yeah, Cam is like the Swiss (Army) knife. He plays nickel, dime, corner, safety. He probably coaches too," secondary coach Tom Bradley told me Tuesday.
And that's part of the problem.
With a number of injuries in the secondary the past month, the Steelers have been forced to use Sutton in the slot and as a linebacker in their dime defense to replace Mike Hilton and Morgan Burnett, respectively. He's just proven to be too valuable doing everything else for the Steelers until they get everyone healthy.
"You've got to know what everyone does," Sutton told me. "I never know where I will be. I might initially start at one position, but something might happen during the course of a game where I've got to go do something else. I embrace that and I like it. I like the role they have given me and the freedom they have given me to move around."
But like most players, he'd obviously like more. In this case, however, his versatility kind of works against him.
So instead of using Sutton to replace or rotate with Burns, the Steelers have used Coty Sensabaugh in that role on the outside opposite Joe Haden.
They'll likely continue to do that until Burns shows he's capable of holding down the position on a full-time basis or Burnett returns from a groin injury that has sidelined him for the better part of a month.
"I think Morgan gives us a bigger body in there to body up on some of those tight ends and give us a chance to do a better job at the line of scrimmage," Bradley said. "Plus, Morgan gives us versatility because of all of the different things he can do.
"I think he'll be an impact when he gets healthy."
That could be when the Steelers return to the field in a couple of weeks against Cleveland at Heinz Field. But given the nature of groin injuries, it might not happen.
Thus, Bradley's job is to get the most out of Burns, who was pulled from last Sunday's 28-21 win over the Bengals after drawing a critical pass interference penalty on a drive in which Cincinnati took the lead late in the game.
"Artie has to play more consistently. He knows that," Bradley said. "We've got to make sure we concentrate on every play and get all of those things right. It's just little things. We'll get that put together this week."
What makes things difficult is that Haden has done a good job the past two weeks matching up one-on-one against Atlanta's Julio Jones and Cincinnati's A.J. Green.
Haden sees ability with Burns. But concentration and above-the-neck issues seem to plague him at times.
"Oh man, it's a huge part because everybody has the ability," Haden said of the mental part of playing cornerback in the NFL. "When you're covering those receivers and you don't really know their routes, it's tough. When you're out there and you let that film study affect what you see, you're a step ahead of them. It helps out secondary guys tremendously. If you're just naturally gifted, that's one thing. If you're naturally gifted and you know his route, it's a whole another level."
The mental aspect of the game is not something with which Sutton has a problem. He might not be as physically gifted as Burns, but if he doesn't have the breakdowns in coverage, that could go a long way toward making the Steelers' pass defense better.
"That's based on the person and how the guy prepares and approaches it," Sutton told me of the mental aspect of having to know how to learn multiple jobs each week. "I look at it as a challenge. It challenges me mentally, my technique, what I'm thinking, how I have to react on the fly. One play I might be playing corner. On the next play, I've got to go inside and play dime. My whole mentality changes.
"Now, I have to remember what happens inside, the down and distance scenarios, the time of the game. It challenges me to keep that mindset and the clock in my mind to keep rolling, just hone in and try to make a play."
The Steelers feel Burns can be that kind of player. They know he puts in the film work and practice time needed to be a valuable player.
But they want to see the results on the field.
"Artie's a great player. He has so much ability, so much talent," Haden said. "It's just that the corner position is a tough position. We're out there on the island. You've got to be mentally strong, have your head strong and know that if they're making plays on you, you've got to have a short-term memory and get back out there and make your plays. It's a tough position to be in. But I know Artie believes in his ability, so just continue to practice hard and continue to transfer that to the game."
If that doesn't happen, it could soon be Sutton as the guy who replaces him on the outside -- once Burnett returns.
"I'm not a guy that derails or gets down," Sutton said. "Any down and every down is important, whether I'm in there for a down or a long stretch. I'm going to give it everything I've got and know what to do. That's the first thing. A guy can't go out there and put himself in a position if he doesn't know what to do. At least knowing that, it gives you a shot."