NFL Analysis

3/15/23

2 min read

Eagles to Retain CB Darius Slay After Initially Preparing to Release Him

The Philadelphia Eagles spent much of Wednesday looking like they were about to lose a key piece of their defense. But in a late-night about-face, it appears cornerback Darius Slay won't be going anywhere.

Earlier on Wednesday, Philadelphia was preparing to cut ties with the five-time Pro Bowler as a post-June 1 release, after an agreement on a restructured contract failed to be reached. But the two sides remained interested in making something work, and late Wednesday, ESPN reported that Slay was likely to remain with the team, and the corner seemed to confirm the news.

Slay was a significant contributor in his three seasons in Philadelphia. He was selected to his fifth Pro Bowl in 2022, recording three interceptions and 14 pass breakups while starting all 17 games.

He originally landed with the Eagles via a trade with the Detroit Lions prior to the 2020 season, in exchange for a third- and a fifth-round pick.

Defensive tackle Fletcher Cox took a discount on a one-year deal to return to Philadelphia on Wednesday, and the Eagles also re-signed cornerback James Bradberry to a three-year, $38 million deal on Tuesday. Brandon Graham had already signed on to stick around last week, and the defending NFC champs got an offensive boost when center Jason Kelce elected to return for another season.

Slay, Cox, and Bradberry offset the considerable losses the Eagles' defense has had so far in free agency, with defensive tackle Javon Hargrave, linebacker Kyzir White, linebacker T.J. Edwards and safety Marcus Epps all signing with new teams. In addition, standout safety Chauncey Gardner-Johnson is also an unrestricted free agent.


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