Tag: steve nelson

57 days till Patriots season opener: Every player to wear No. 57 for New England

Here’s a list of every Patriots player to wear the No. 57 jersey number

The New England Patriots are only 57 days away from their regular season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles, which means we’re continuing our countdown series by listing every Patriots player that has worn the No. 57.

It’s a short list of three when it comes to the number worn by one of the franchise’s all-time greats, Steve Nelson.

The former NFL linebacker played with the Patriots for 13 years and received two All-Pro nods and three Pro Bowl invitations. He was ultimately inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame and had his jersey retired.

There were only a total of three players throughout franchise history that have worn the No. 57.

Here are those players (via Pro Football Reference):

Potential Bills free-agent target Steve Nelson might sign soon

Previously linked to the #Bills, a message sent out by Steven Nelson yesterday was a bit suggestive:

If the Bills are set to land cornerback Steve Nelson in free agency, it could only be just a matter of time.

Nelson, 28, was reportedly a player that Bills had expressed interest in adding back in May. The CB was a cap causality of the Steelers earlier this offseason.

On Tuesday, Nelson sent out a cryptic message via his social media account on Twitter. The free agent said: “Today or tomorrow” in a since deleted post. Taking the post and his account off the internet since then also adds another interesting layer to this story.

In Nelson, the Bills are potentially interested in a player that was graded a 67.1 overall by Pro Football Focus in 2020. The would rank as the football analytics outlet’s 40th best cornerback in the NFL last season.

Currently, Levi Wallace and Dane Jackson are set to duke it out for playing time at the No. 2 cornerback spot when training camp gets underway next week. Rookie sixth-round pick Rachad Wildgoose could factor in, but he also might be better suited to trying to find playing time at the nickel spot.

Check back at Bills Wire for any updates on Nelson’s status.

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Buffalo Bills predicted to sign free agent CB Steve Nelson

#Bills predicted to sign free agent CB Steve Nelson this offseason:

All signs from the Bills point to their No. 2 cornerback battle during training camp to be between  Levi Wallace and Dane Jackson. Not only have coaches and general manager Brandon Beane touted both this offseason… actions do speak louder than words.

Buffalo has yet to add another player to that offseason competition so one can point to that as a reference for how the Bills feel about those two.

Still, that hasn’t stopped Bleacher Report from thinking otherwise. With training camp still a few week away at the end of July, B/R made some predictions for the top-remaining free agents still unsigned.

Regarding former Steelers cornerback Steve Nelson, B/R thinks the Bills will land him:

The Bills don’t seem to be tied to Levi Wallace, so no one should be surprised if the front office makes a strong move for Nelson, who hasn’t allowed a completion rate above 59 percent in any of the past three campaigns.

After adding rookie defensive ends Greg Rousseau and Boogie Basham, Buffalo can improve its 13th-ranked 2020 pass defense with an upgrade at cornerback. The Bills must make strides in that area if they plan to even the playing field against the Kansas City Chiefs’ high-powered attack in a potential playoff matchup.

While not highlighting Jackson at all, he is a player that needs to be mentioned by B/R. Beane specifically has praised him multiple times throughout the offseason. He will be a serious contender for playing time.

Still, Nelson is an established vet in the NFL and could certainly be an upgrade for Buffalo’s defense. Additionally, the Bills were reportedly interested in Nelson in May.

With Nelson, the Bills would be approaching a player that was graded a 67.1 overall by Pro Football Focus in 2020. The would rank as the football analytics outlet’s 40th best cornerback in the NFL last season.

Nelson was released by the Steelers this spring in a salary cap move.

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Report: Bills among teams with interest in CB Steve Nelson

Buffalo Bills reportedly interested in free-agent cornerback Steve Nelson, formerly of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

A report on Wednesday indicates that the Bills are still thinking about in bringing another player to battle for playing time at their No. 2 cornerback position on defense.

Per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, nearly half of the NFL has approached free-agent corner Steve Nelson. The Bills were one of the few that were mentioned by name in regards to teams that are interested in his services:

Currently, Levi Wallace and Dane Jackson are set to duke it out in that No. 2 training camp battle as of now. Rookie sixth-round pick Rachad Wildgoose could factor in, but he also might be better suited to trying to find playing time at the nickel spot.

In Nelson, the Bills are reportedly interested in a player that was graded a 67.1 overall by Pro Football Focus in 2020. The would rank as the football analytics outlet’s 40th best cornerback in the NFL last season.

Last month, the 28-year-old was released by the Steelers in April. Steelers Wire reported that the move was a salary cap move and not based off Nelson’s play.

At this point in the offseason, it’s hard to envision the Bills finding a better 1-2 option on the outside of their defense than Nelson and Tre’Davious White. However, Wallace has had his own moments of solid play.

Wallace, who has factored in as Buffalo’s No. 2 cornerback at times throughout the past few seasons was named PFF’s 34th best cornerback in the league in 2020. Considering that, the Bills could be in a win-win scenario here by rolling with either Nelson or Wallace.

Many observers of the Bills will be quick to point out that Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott will not be shy about potentially adding further competition to his training camp roster though, so Nelson could certainly be in play for the Bills.

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Bills pegged as suitor for CB Steve Nelson

Bleacher Report on the Buffalo Bills & cornerback Steve Nelson.

As the 2021 NFL draft came and went, the Bills did little to address the No. 2 cornerback spot on their defense.

Levi Wallace and Dane Jackson are set to duke it out in that training camp battle as of now. Perhaps Buffalo’s front office is fine with that prospect, however, some believed the recent draft would be a great place to find another player to battle for playing time there.

Rookie sixth-round pick Rachad Wildgoose could factor in, but he also might be better suited to trying to find playing time at the nickel spot. Considering that, some then turned their attention back to free agency as a spot where the Bills might find that third piece for the No. 2 battle.

Among those thinking of options was Bleacher Report recently and they have an idea. Going through some of the top free agents still on the market post-draft, B/R pegged Buffalo as a potential suitor for former Steelers cornerback Steve Nelson:

Anyone who wishes they would have come away from the draft with a starting outside cornerback but didn’t should be on the phone with Steven Nelson’s agent.

Nelson’s role as a starting corner on one of the league’s premier defenses over the past two seasons should be enough to convince someone to ink him to a contract sooner rather than later.

Starting 30 games Steelers over two seasons, he allowed a 58.2 percent completion percentage on 98 targets in 2020 and 50 percent on 74 targets in 2019.

While many on this list are on the wrong side of 30 Nelson is 28 years old.

B/R continued:

If Nelson is looking to get back on a playoff team, the most obvious fit would be the Buffalo Bills. The AFC East favorite doesn’t have much depth behind Tre’Davious White and Levi Wallace. With the AFC Championship road going through Patrick Mahomes and Kansas City, it wouldn’t hurt to add another high-quality corner.

Nelson was released by the Steelers in April. Steelers Wire reported that the move was a salary cap move and not based off Nelson’s play.

In addition to the Bills, the Cardinals and 49ers were named as potential suitors for Nelson by B/R. However, per Niners Wire, the 49ers are talking to Richard Sherman about potentially returning. Adding both Sherman and Nelson seems unlikely, which might help the Bills if they are interested in Nelson’s services.

Aside from Sherman, it’s hard to envision the Bills finding a better 1-2 option on the outside of their defense than Nelson and Tre’Davious White at this time. But if the Bills do decide to move forward with the way things stand, Wallace has the inside track on winning that job over Jackson.

Wallace has preformed well, at times, over the past few seasons in Buffalo’s secondary. Taking that route is still a decent option for the Bills.

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