Lets see him maintain it across a full season and through the playoffs, then I'd consider changing my tune

But that's not a reasonable position to take if you're talking 'ceiling'.

Sure, you can adjust his 'top quartile of probable outcomes' or something like that, but for 10 games the dude has played like one of the top 5-10 CBs in the league. I don't care if he gets his ass beaten like a rented mule for the rest of the season, that damn sure doesn't change the fact that he's proven his 'ceiling' to be far more than quality depth.

Especially not when he was a one of the better slot corners in football in 2016 before we asked him to bite off more than he could chew in 2017.

You're just not being fair here and that's coming from one of the people has has been most critical of Nelson to this point.

Players get hot for a while and then tail off all of the time

I'm not sold on him as a long-term answer, at all... if he is still starting here next year, I'll gladly eat humble pie

Nelson (and the whole defensive backfield really) still is near the worst in the league at getting penalties. It's not all wine and roses with this crew.

Nor am I.

Still doesn't mean that his ceiling is quality depth. He's proven that it isn't. His ceiling, if he plays to it, is a top tier NFL starter.

I just don't think he'll play to it. Again - completely different conversations.

The offense is averaging at/near 2 false-start penalties per game at home.

Penalties are a problem at every level of this football team.

Absolutely true...

Terrance Mitchell
I thought he was the answer.

Marcus Cooper.

Terrance Mitchell looked like a solid starting CB for about 3 games. He had one fantastic game, a solid game or two and then was just there. He was never showing up on the 'best CBs in football' lists.

Warmer; better and for longer. But Cooper started showing drop off pretty quickly as well. Moreover, he didn't have an entire season at the level Nelson had in 2016.

Nelson demonstrated a full season as a 'starting' caliber Nickel CB in 2016 - that's more than Cooper or Mitchell ever showed. Then this year he's gone wire to wire as not just a credible complementary corner (which is the lense we were looking at Mitchell and Cooper through) but as a genuinely excellent starting guy.

Nelson has played at a quality NFL player level for much longer, he's hit a higher peak and he's held it for much longer than either Cooper or Mitchell.

And again - that's not to say that I believe this is his new normal. I don't trust him any more than most to keep it up. I just think it's wildly unfair to simply hand waive 10 weeks of damn good football as 'credible depth'.

You're ignoring what he's done in favor of what you thought he'd do. That's how Matt Cassel's happen...

Well said.

They are throwing flags to keep our games semi close. Some of the bullshit is ridiculous.

Man, it’s really hard not to feel that way.

The Pats and Cardinals game are perfect examples. Opposing team could do no wrong while we get called for ticky tack BS.

hey guys steven nelson is elite

https://scontent.fmkc1-1.fna.fbcdn.n...e9&oe=5C73D99E

#11 CB as per PFF.

But don't say that. Fans want to keep saying Dorsey was so poor at drafting and as a GM.

He is not the reason why the offense is historically good but he is the reason why this defense is supposedly terrible. Ok.

And what about that guy earlier in the thread who was saying Nelson has been bad. Ok sure lol.