Philadelphia Eagles rumors: Steven Nelson signing still a possibility

Arguably the top free agent still available to be signed (and someone who Philadelphia Eagles fans have been clamoring for for quite some time now), at least one NFL reporter has stated that Howie Roseman and the Eagles remain interested in former Steelers cornerback Steven Nelson.

Here’s what NFL insider Adam Caplan had to say about the situation on “The Adam Caplan Show” – via Matt Mullin of PhillyVoice.com:

"It’s about what he is willing to accept at this point. There’s leverage on the club’s standpoint because they know what his value is, and it is nowhere near what he wants. If he gets a deal around $4 million or $5 million, I think in the end, that is what he’ll get. The Eagles are looking to pay $2 million or $3 million from what I understand, so we will see what happens and see if they can reel him in or somebody else before training camp.”"

The Philadelphia Eagles remain interested in CB Steven Nelson – but only at the right price.

Despite bringing in Darius Slay last offseason, the Eagles cornerback situation remains one of the worst in the NFL. The addition of veteran Nickell Robey-Coleman in the slot did more harm than good, and Avonte Maddox continues to struggle finding a solidified role for himself in the secondary. Undrafted free agent Michael Jacquet showed signs of promise last season, but also had one of the worst defensive performances in league history when matched up against the likes of Michael Gallup during the team’s Week 16 loss to Dallas.

Needless to say, CB is a big-time issue for Philadelphia, and will continue to be one moving forward unless something is done at the position. Roseman only added one corner in the 2021 NFL Draft (fourth-round pick Zech McPhearson), Slay isn’t getting any younger, and Maddox is on the final year of his rookie deal. Unless McPhearson ends up severely outplaying his fourth-round status, the Philadelphia Eagles secondary could be even worse in 2022.

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Circling back to Nelson, his age is one of the biggest reasons Philadelphia makes sense as a potential landing spot. Not only is Nelson an established starting corner, but he’s only 28 years old, which aligns with the Eagles current rebuilding strategy. A multi-year extension could see Nelson still being around by the time Philly is ready to push for the postseason again.

The only reason Nelson has yet to be scooped up by the Eagles, as mentioned by Caplan, is due to the asking price. Nelson and his camp reportedly want $4-5 million per year, whereas Howie Roseman wants to pay about half that. The Eagles are already pressed right up against the league’s salary cap – they simply don’t have extra cash lying around to pay Nelson what he’s asking for at the moment. Even at $2-3 million per year, any deal with Nelson would have to be seriously backloaded with multiple “dummy years” from the Philadelphia Eagles side of things to keep them under the salary cap.

With that said, training camp is right around the corner, so there’s a good chance Nelson could begin entertaining smaller offers as he gets antsy to find a new home. If that does occur, then the Eagles getting involved makes a good amount of sense. Them keeping that line of communication open with Nelson this whole time is obviously a good sign on that regard.