Eagles sign veteran Steven Nelson to fix their cornerback woes

The Eagles addressed one of their most glaring weaknesses just in time for training camp.

With the start of summer practices a few days away, the team announced it agreed to terms with Steven Nelson, a 28-year-old cornerback with several seasons of starting experience.

According to an ESPN report, the one-year deal is worth up to $4 million and will take up most of the Eagles’ remaining cap space. In a corresponding move, the Eagles released defensive tackle Willie Henry.

Nelson spent the last two years with the Pittsburgh Steelers and has 68 career starts and 82 games played. He earned a 68.1 coverage grade from Pro Football Focus last season, starting 15 games on a defense that led the league in efficiency against the pass, according to Football Outsiders. Nelson was released earlier this offseason mostly because of the Steelers‘ need to clear cap space.

Although new head coach Nick Sirianni has harped on the importance of competition, Nelson figures to have the first crack at the starting outside cornerback spot opposite Darius Slay. His primary competition will be Avonte Maddox, but the 5-foot-9, 184-pound corner is better suited for the slot. Fourth-round pick Zech McPhearson could also make a push for the starting role depending on how he performs in camp.

Eagles defensive backs coach Dennard Wilson said he wouldn’t be picky when asked what he wants at the outside corner spot opposite Slay, although he can afford to be a bit more selective now that Nelson’s on board.

“Whoever comes in and puts it all together, that’s who you’re going to see out there on Sundays,” Wilson said on June 9. “... I’ve played with all types of corners. It’s not a specific skill set, or a body. Whatever they do well, they gotta do it well all the time.”

Coming into the offseason, CB2 was arguably the team’s biggest need outside of another wide receiver. They cut bait with Sidney Jones and Rasul Douglas after training camp last summer and crowned Maddox the starter for Week 1.

Maddox struggled on the outside and eventually got hurt, leaving the team’s pass defense even worse off than it was before. Nickell Robey-Coleman, Michael Jacquet, and Kevon Seymour all logged snaps on the outside and they all had trouble.

» READ MORE: Burning questions from Eagles camp: Can Hurts, Ertz, and the blitz make a difference?

Nelson started his career with the Kansas City Chiefs as a third-round pick out of Oregon State in 2015. He started 15 games for Kansas City in his second season and held onto a starting role each of the next two years. He signed with the Steelers for the 2019 season and started 15 games in each of the last two seasons. He has 52 pass breakups and seven interceptions in his career and had two picks last season.