Philadelphia Eagles: Profiling free agent cornerback Steven Nelson

The Pittsburgh Steelers made an underrated splash signing in 2020 when they signed then free-agent cornerback Steven Nelson. Fast forward to the present, and the rising star is on the market again after being released by that same Steelers team. Luckily for anyone looking for cornerback help, a team like the Philadelphia Eagles for instance, Nelson is a guy that could be an improvement to their roster. That is if they decided to land him.

Heading into the 2021 NFL Draft, the Philadelphia Eagles had a truck-sized hole in their cornerback room. The expectation was simple. Their front office would pull the trigger with one of their early draft selections, but for whatever reason, it wasn’t until day three that general manager Howie Roseman made the decision to select a corner.

The Birds selected Texas Tech Red Raider Zech McPhearson in the fourth round. That left Eagles fans scratching their heads in confusion.

How about a front office take Philadelphia Eagles fans might find interesting?

We at ITI had the opportunity to speak with a former front office source and ask him his take on the free-agent cornerback as well as his potential fit with the Philadelphia Eagles. While he asked not to be named he did have this to say:

"Look, it’s really simple here. You need corners so you pay for them. You draft them. You do what It takes to get a guy in the building. You know these guys are overpaid at times. An average guy is getting star money. Steven Nelson is good but not great, but ask yourself two questions. One, why is he still on the market? Second, does he upgrade what your team has? The answer to number two is yes. He is an upgrade for the Eagles, but I don’t know why is still available."

The Philadelphia Eagles need to take a long look at the free-agent corner.

Last season (2020) was a horrible year in the city of Philadelphia, one that would eventually lead to an eleven-loss season. The Birds seemed plagued by injuries, locker room rifts, and bad football play. While the offense struggled to do anything, the passing defense wasn’t much better. They were among the worst units in the National Football League, and it’s time to do something about it.

While the front office has added some youth to the position, they need to keep an eye on a veteran presence. Adding a player like Steven Nelson could go a long way in pushing the passing defense into one of the best in the NFL. What seemed like a long rebuild now seems like a team on the verge of being competitive. Adding talent to its defense could be exactly what they need to be dominant again.