When the Eagles signed linebacker Corey Nelson in free agency this offseason, they were expecting him to compete for a starting job, and at least be a contributor both on defense and special teams. Instead, Nelson is gone before the preseason is even over.
The Eagles released Nelson today, according to multiple reports.
Nelson got a $600,000 signing bonus, which the Eagles wouldn’t have paid if they didn’t feel confident he would make the team. But he reportedly didn’t look particularly good in training camp, and he wasn’t in the starting lineup for any of Philadelphia’s three preseason games.
The 26-year-old Nelson was a 2014 seventh-round draft pick of the Broncos and had played his entire NFL career in Denver until the Eagles signed him, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Broncos bring him back. Although Nelson’s 2017 season was cut short by a torn biceps, the Broncos liked his talent and potential, and they may find a role for him that the Eagles couldn’t.
