The last great cornerback to play for the Philadelphia Eagles wore No. 22. Maybe the next one will don the same midnight green jersey.
Steven Nelson has been the rumored corner of interest to line up opposite Darius Slay in Philly and the former Pittsburgh Steelers starter has wasted no time in stoking the free-agent flames. First, Nelson told prospective suitors “do you wanna win or be average” and now he has thrown his support behind Asante Samuel, arguably the only shutdown cornerback to play for the Eagles in the past decade. Coincidentally, Nelson wears the same No. 22 jersey that Samuel made famous during 11 NFL seasons in Philadelphia, New England, and Atlanta.
@Nelson_Island Come to Philly 🦅
Samuel inked a six-year contract worth an estimated $57 million to play cornerback for the Eagles in 2008, with $20 million guaranteed. He recorded 23 interceptions in 56 games but left Philly on bad terms, including a reputation for being a poor tackler. Of course, there was no debate over his play-making ability, one of the best ball hawks in NFL history and a borderline Hall of Famer.
Someone should do a break down for the @ProFootballHOF showing the numbers and comparisons. The pro bowls, who made it only playing 3 games in a season a so on. They need to fix this. I may never make it. But I will help to get it fixed. #pick6 #HOF
The Eagles eventually traded Samuel for a seventh-round pick in 2012 after the team acquired Nnamdi Asomugha and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. The divorce didn’t sit well with Samuel and he let it be known.
“I just know in the back of my head they don’t want me there,” Samuel said, via Pro Football Talk. “So, you know, that’s not gonna leave. They put it out there so everybody could know that, so I know that and everybody knows that. So it’s in the back of my head. And Asante Samuel is a business entity first, so I’m going to make sure I handle my business accordingly.”
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Jason Kelce Raises $100K for Autism Challenge
Jason Kelce was already an Eagles legend, but he keeps adding epic chapters to it every single day. The most recent one saw the All-Pro center show up to a college bar in Sea Isle City, NJ where he served as a guest bartender for the Eagles Autism Challenge. The line to get in wrapped around the block and Philly fans donated $50,000 to the organization’s top charity. Then Kelce matched it by shelling out another $50,000 of his own money. Amazing.
“I don’t try to be anything that I’m not and I think fans, especially in Philadelphia, appreciate that,” Kelce told Eagles Insider Dave Spadaro. “I just try to be as much of myself as I can be, not trying to get a big head or anything like that because I certainly don’t have one and really just engage with the fans in a real way as much as possible. I think they reciprocate that.”
Jason Kelce servin’ ‘em up at @theoceandrive in Sea Isle City, NJ part of a fundraising event for @eaglesautism. The goal was $20k for the day. Packed house. Great event!
#FlyEaglesFly
Slay Rips Pro Football Focus Rankings
Meanwhile, Slay has seen and heard enough of the disrespect as it pertains to the Eagles’ roster this season. Pro Football Focus ranked Philly as the seventh-worst secondary in the NFL in early June, then ranked the team’s entire roster as No. 29 in their latest poll. Yikes.
Here is what they wrote about Slay and the secondary:
It’s been two years since Darius Slay played at an elite level. His PFF grade dropped from 90.0 over a five-year stint in Detroit to just 59.5 across the past two years. The Eagles need him to return to that earlier form because their cornerback depth leaves a lot to be desired. Avonte Maddox (37.1 coverage grade in 2020) and fourth-round rookie Zech McPhearson are among the most notable names behind Slay on the depth chart.
Bringing in safety Anthony Harris on a one-year, $4 million deal this offseason was good value for the Eagles. Harris finished fifth among all safeties in PFF WAR across the 2019 and 2020 seasons.
Anthony Harris 2017-2019:
• 1,145 Coverage Snaps
• 0 Touchdowns Allowed
Anthony Harris 2020:
• 602 Coverage Snaps
• 4 Touchdowns Allowed
Can he get back to elite status with the Eagles?
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Ex-Steelers CB Fuels Rumors After Shouting Out Eagles Great