July 25, 2021
The Philadelphia Eagles announced on Sunday that they have agreed to terms with former Pittsburgh Steelers and Kansas City Chiefs CB Steven Nelson on a one-year deal. To be determined what the exact cost is, but one report from ESPN says it is worth "more than $4 million."
Nelson is a good starting NFL corner, though not much of a playmaker, as he only has seven INTs and a forced fumble in six seasons. Still, he can step in immediately and be a major upgrade on the Eagles' roster at CB2 opposite Darius Slay.
In 2019, Nelson signed a three-year, $25.5 million deal with the Steelers that he felt he outperformed. At this point in the offseason as teams are set to start their training camps league-wide, Nelson and his representation probably feel like they missed out on an opportunity to maximize his worth, having been released well after the start of free agency. As such, Nelson's one-year deal makes sense for him, as he can look ahead to the 2022 offseason for a bigger long-term payday.
Meanwhile, the Eagles would have been unwise to spend a substantial chunk of money on a short-term fix like Nelson, but if his deal is only in the $4 million range, that is a bargain price for an upgrade on by far the most troublesome spot on their depth chart. He is 28 years old.
The Eagles depth chart at cornerback now likely looks something like this:
| CB | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| CB | Darius Slay | Zech McPhearson | Shakial Taylor | Nate Meadors |
| CB | Steven Nelson | Michael Jacquet | Craig James | Kevon Seymour |
| Slot CB | Avonte Maddox | Josiah Scott | Lavert Hill |
That is a major hole filled.
We'll update with more concrete contract information when it is made available.
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