The Philadelphia Eagles have agreed to terms with free-agent cornerback Steven Nelson on a one-year deal, the team announced on Twitter on Sunday afternoon. In a corresponding move, the Eagles released defensive tackle Willie Henry. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that the deal is worth more than $4 million.
The Eagles have been connected to Nelson for the last few months given their obvious need for a starting outside cornerback opposite Darius Slay and Nelson’s status as a free agent throughout the Summer. Apparently, the two sides were finally able to agree to terms.
Nelson (5’11”, 194lb) is 28 years old and doesn’t turn 29 until January. He was a third-round pick of the Kansas City Chiefs back in 2015 and started for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2019 and 2020. Here are his complete career statistics, courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com:
This signing fills an obvious need for the Eagles on defense, as they didn’t have any legitimate options to start on the outside, regardless of the defensive scheme that first-year defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon implements. This move also ensures that cornerback Avonte Maddox will be able to move back inside to the nickel cornerback position, where he had success earlier in his career.
Cornerbacks not named Steven Nelson, Darius Slay, or Avonte Maddox on the Eagles roster include Michael Jacquet, Craig James, rookie Zech McPhearson, the recently-acquired Josiah Scott, Shakial Taylor, and Lavert Hill. Obviously, Nelson is an immediate upgrade over anyone on that list and will step in on Day 1 as the starter.
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Mike Maher is the editor and publisher of The Birds Blitz and Juiced Ball Era. Follow him on Twitter @mikeMaher and @TheBirdsBlitz and check out his archive for all of his latest stories about the Eagles and the NFL.
