Now the Eagles need to find a new CB2.
A starter for the Eagles in 2021, veteran cornerback Steven Nelson is signing with the Houston Texans, according to the Houston Chronicle.
Nelson, 29, joined the Eagles last July on a one-year deal and helped solidify the cornerback position, playing opposite Darius Slay. Not only did Nelson improve the CB2 spot, but his presence also allowed Avonte Maddox to move into the slot, where he had his best NFL season.
The Texans signed Nelson to a two-year, $10 million deal, according to Aaron Wilson. Nelson’s one-year deal with the Eagles in 2021 was worth $2.5 million with the opportunity to earn more.
Last season, Nelson started every game except the meaningless regular season finale. He had 50 tackles, 1 interception and 7 pass breakups. He was a solid No. 2 cornerback.
Without Nelson, the Eagles are now pretty thin at the position. They’ll bring back Slay and Maddox for 2022 but they have an obvious hole at one of their starting cornerback spots in addition to a vacancy at one of the safety spots.
NFL
At the owners meetings late last month, however, head coach Nick Sirianni talked up the stable of young cornerbacks on the Eagles roster.
“Those guys have a great opportunity this year and we believe in those guys,” Sirianni said. “We believe in the skillsets that they have, we believe the competitiveness, the toughest, the character, the football IQ, the love of football that those guys have. I’m really excited to see how that plays out.
“There’s four young guys and we obviously have two great veterans there with Avonte and with Slay and then we have four young guys that are vying for a position. What a battle that’s going to be this year to be able to see who steps up and takes the position. I’m excited for those guys.”
The four players Sirianni mentioned by name were Zech McPhearson, Tay Gowan, Mac McCain and Kary Vincent Jr. Could one of those four players end up as a starter in 2022? That’s what Sirianni seemed to indicate.
But there are still several months before the start of the season. And it’s worth pointing out that the Eagles didn’t sign Nelson until just before training camp last year.
There are still several notable cornerbacks available in free agency like Stephon Gilmore and Kyle Fuller, among others.
And the Eagles also have the draft later this month. They have the No. 15 and No. 18 selections, as well as eight more picks in Day 2 and 3. Some options in the first round include Sauce Gardner or Derek Stingley (likely with a trade-up) or Trent McDuffie or Andrew Booth Jr. They will also have a shot at No. 51 to land a starting-caliber player.
In any case, the Eagles have a few months to find a replacement for Nelson. He wasn’t great in 2021 but he was solid and it’s a position the Eagles need to figure out.
Subscribe to the Eagle Eye podcast
Apple Podcasts | Google Play | Spotify | Stitcher | Art19 | Watch on YouTube