Darius Slay was an instrumental part of the Philadelphia Eagles' defense as they came ever so close to winning Super Bowl LVII. However, the offseason is a time for teams to make some tough roster decisions as they try to build a sustainable contending outfit. With the Eagles needing to make some roster cuts to regain some sort of cap space breathing room, it seemed like Slay could be on his way out of Philly, what with the team giving him permission to seek a trade.
But on Wednesday morning, it seems like the Eagles have come to the conclusion that they could not find a suitable trade for the 32-year old cornerback. Instead, the Eagles now plan to release Slay, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. Per Schefter, the Eagles couldn't negotiate a restructured deal with the veteran. As a result, Slay will enter free agency at 4 pm later today.
Shortly before Schefter's bombshell announcement, Darius Slay had already foreshadowed his Eagles departure with a heartfelt message for the fans of a team he has spent the past three seasons playing for.
“Nothing but love Philly!! Lets see where we heading next..” Slay wrote.
One of the primary reasons behind the Eagles' decision to release the veteran cornerback was his hefty $26.1 million cap hit. By designating him as a post-June 1 cut, the Eagles could open up $17.5 million in cap space — equivalent to his base salary plus workout bonus for the upcoming 2023 campaign.
In three seasons with the Eagles, Darius Slay played in 52 games (regular season and postseason combined). During that span, Slay put up seven interceptions (one for a touchdown) which was good for two Pro Bowl selections.
Slay had plenty of memorable moments as a member of the Eagles organization. Who could forget the time when he ran rampant against the Minnesota Vikings by shutting down Kirk Cousins' passing game?
Nevertheless, Darius Slay should have plenty of suitors as he enters free agency for the first time in his career. Teams such as the Cincinnati Bengals, Atlanta Falcons, and New England Patriots could pursue Slay to bolster their defensive units.
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