After he had a very disappointing summer, the Eagles have released veteran linebacker Corey Nelson, a league source confirmed to NBC Sports Philadelphia.
Nelson, 26, was signed as a free agent this spring and was brought to Philadelphia with the opportunity to compete for a starting job. But Nelson quickly fell behind on the depth chart and seemingly didn’t make a play all of training camp.
The Philadelphia Inquirer first reported Nelson’s release.
By cutting Nelson, the Eagles will avoid paying him his $1 million base salary. It should also save the Eagles a comp pick, which probably made the decision even more of a no-brainer.
Nelson was passed by Kamu Grugier-Hill and Nate Gerry on the depth chart. One of them will start on at weakside linebacker, while LaRoy Reynolds and Joe Walker will probably earn reserve roles.
Nelson came to Philadelphia with some promise. After being a career special teamer with the Broncos, the Eagles thought they were getting a player with plenty of untapped potential. Instead, they got a player who didn’t stand out once and had become almost forgotten by the time the Eagles cut him today.
While the Eagles cut Nelson, they also signed undrafted rookie Jaboree Williams from Wake Forest. Williams was with the Eagles as a tryout player this spring.
NFL
With the moves, the Eagles roster sits at 89. They have an extra spot if they want to fill it for Thursday's preseason finale. But the roster must be down to 53 by 4 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 1.