Rams are just 1 of the NFL teams that failed to lure this DB away from retiring

The LA Rams front office was very busy this offseason. We know this due to the number and rapidity of free agents signed in the offseason. In many ways, the 2024 off-season was one of the busiest off-seasons that this team has enjoyed since 2017, the year that the team hired HC Sean McVay. But for every player signed, how many inquiries or contract offers did the team make that simply did not pan out?

Whatever the number that you believe failed attempts to be for the team, it seems that you can add one more failed inquiry to the list. Per Houston Texans beat writer Aaron Wilson, the LA Rams are among multiple teams that gave a serious push to signing former Houston Texans veteran cornerback Steven Nelson this offseason:

Unfortunately for NFL teams, Nelson has opted to retire this year:

So why the interest from so many teams?

Well, Steven Nelson is a nine-year NFL veteran defensive back who stands 5-foot-11 and weighs 194 pounds. He is 31 years old, but enjoyed a resurgence of production in 2023 with the Texans. He put up 63 tackles, picked off four passes as interceptions, and broke up 12 passes last season. In 70 targets, he allowed just 43 completions and just one touchdown. He played 1,088 defensive snaps for the Texans last year.

If you need to place a timetable to the Rams' interest in Nelson, it most likely occurred after the team signed Darious Williams, but before the team added Tre'Davious White.

The report of rumored interest in Nelson is up to you to decide if accurate or not, but the pattern does align perfectly with the team's interest in adding ball-hawking defensive backs to this secondary. Nelson's four interceptions matches that of Darious Williams, and his age of 31 years old also matches nicely with that of DWill.

Curiously, the interest in Nelson does pose the challenge over the team's succession plans for the secondary going forward. In drafting just Tre' Tomlinson in 2023 and Kamren Kinchens in 2024, the front office seems to have taken a unique route on building for the future of this secondary. The fact that Nelson has opted to retire rather than sign with the Rams should serve as a reminder to the limited number of years that NFL players have to compete.

I did not foresee the Rams interest in Steven Nelson, but had the team successfully signed him to this roster, he certainly would have been someone I would have enjoyed seeing playing in Horns. Unfortunately, the team swung and missed. That is just how it goes, sometime.

As always, thanks for reading.