First Call: Update on ex-Steeler Steven Nelson; James Conner’s big goals on and off the field; Bills may use Beaver Stadium
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Ex-Steelers cornerback Steven Nelson may have a new team on his radar.
His former teammate James Conner has big plans on and off the field in Arizona. The Bills will have all their fans in the stands when they welcome the Steelers during the season opener. And they may be using Beaver Stadium as their temporary home in a few years.
All that and more in Wednesday’s “First Call.”
Down the turnpike
Steven Nelson is still looking for a new team.
The ex-Steelers cornerback was released during the early days of free agency and is seeking a new place to play. He may be getting close to finding a home.
According to Adam Caplan of Sirius XM Radio, Philadelphia “really likes” Nelson. And the Eagles are looking for a corner to pair with Darius Slay.
Via EaglesWire.com, defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson said the second option at cornerback is an “open competition.”
One potential stumbling block is Nelson’s asking price, which apparently is more than $3 million according to Eagles Wire.
Quite an impression
Twelve years ago, wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders made the Super Bowl as a rookie with the Steelers.
Now, he’s starting his first season with the Buffalo Bills, his fifth NFL team. Despite getting to two more Super Bowls with the Denver Broncos and San Francisco 49ers (and winning Super Bowl 50 with Denver), Sanders says he is still attempting to recapture that first Super Bowl experience.
According to a quote from quarterback Josh Allen via BillsWire.com, Sanders addressed the team before his first practice and said, “He got to share his story. But the thing that he said that stuck with me, was, ‘My first year, I went to the Super Bowl and I’ve been chasing it ever since.’ He’s been to three, he’s won one. But he wants another one.”
Sanders will be vying to become the team’s third receiver next to Stefon Diggs and Cole Beasley. The Bills came a game short of the Super Bowl last season, losing 38-24 to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship game.
The Steelers open 2021 in Buffalo on Sept. 12.
‘Mafia’ in force
Speaking of that first game, the Steelers will be playing in front of a full crowd. The Bills announced Thursday that they will open Highmark Stadium to full capacity for all of the 2021 season.
Both vaccinated and unvaccinated fans are welcome. Masks are still required for unvaccinated individuals.
Let’s see how diligent non-vaccinated Bills Mafia members are about that. The Steelers lost in Buffalo 26-15 last year in front of no fans.
That’s not the only stadium news surrounding the Bills. According to WROC-TV in Rochester and WJAC in Johnstown-Altoona, Penn State’s Beaver Stadium may be used as their home field in the future.
WROC says Happy Valley could be used as a temporary home for the Bills if they are unable to extend their lease at Highmark Stadium beyond 2023 with the Erie County, N.Y. government.
The Bills are also planning a new stadium which may not be ready until sometime between 2025 and 2027. So they could be displaced during the process. WJAC also says Toronto is a possible temporary home. The station reminds us Bills owner and PSU alum Terry Pegula brought his other team — the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres — to State College for two preseason games in 2016 and 2019.
Desert dreams
Cardinals running back James Conner is thinking big when it comes to his first year in Arizona.
During an interview with the team’s YouTube channel, the former Steelers rusher said he and fellow running back Chase Edmonds could be one of the most potent duos in the NFL in 2021.
“As a tandem, I think we can be one of the best in the league,” Conner said. “(Edmonds) has been waiting for an opportunity. Even though he has the body of work and a resume, (the chance) to show more. I know he’s anxious to show more, I’m anxious to show.
“Me and Chase, we’re gonna feed off each other and keep this thing rolling.”
Last year, Edmonds averaged 4.6 yards on 97 carries. Conner averaged 4.3 yards on 169 attempts.
Off the field, Conner said he is working on a children’s book with Harper Collins. That’s the company that published his memoir — “Fear is a Choice” — last year.