Eagles Shifting on From Darius Slay. Right here’s What We Know – NBC Bay Space

Daily SF NewsMarch 15, 2023

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Eagles Moving on From Darius Slay. Here’s What We Know – NBC Bay Area

The Eagles move on from Darius Slay.

After the two sides failed to reach a new contract agreement, the Eagles plan to release the Pro Bowl corner when the new league year begins Wednesday afternoon, a league source confirmed to NBC Sports Philadelphia’s John Clark.

Source confirms Darius will release Slay and be a free agent

Eagles and Slay failed to agree on restructured contract pic.twitter.com/sZJ8Z4yrqP

— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) March 15, 2023

Slay, 32, has spent the last three seasons in Philadelphia and was a 2021 and 2022 Pro Bowler. He said goodbye to Philly in a tweet Wednesday morning:

Nothing but love Philly!! Let’s see where it goes next..

— Darius Slay (@bigplay24slay) March 15, 2023

Slay was due to enter the final year of his contract in 2023 and wanted a contract extension. The Eagles, meanwhile, were keen to lower his $26 million cap hit for the upcoming season. Last Friday, the Eagles Slays granted Agent Drew Rosenhaus permission to seek a trade. That was a step so Rosenhaus could find the market for the veteran cornerback.

But since then both sides couldn’t agree on a new contract and now the Eagles are pulling out of Slay.

The Eagles had two options with this release. And according to a league source, they will call Slay a post-June 1st release. This frees up $17 million in cap space, but they must carry his full cap hit of $26.1 million by that date. It will eventually leave $8.6 million in dead money in 2023 and $13.8 million in dead money in 2024. It’s basically a way to split those dead cap fees.

Slay was still very good in 2022, but his game slipped a bit in the second half of the season. In the first eight games of the season, opponents completed just 46.3% of their passes to him with 1 touchdown and 3 interceptions and a 37.2 passer rating. But in the last 9 games of the regular season, it’s up 71.1% for 346 yards with 4 touchdowns, 0 INTs and a 134.4 passer rating, according to Stathead.

The Eagles acquired Slay in a trade with the Lions in May 2020. The Eagles hit the expensive cornerback market in free agency, picking Slay as a third-round and fifth-round pick in the 2020 draft. Following the trade, Slay signed a three-year, $50 million deal with $30 million guaranteed.

While the Eagles are losing Slay, they were able to keep James Bradberry, who was a pending free agent. Bradberry re-signs to three-year, $38 million deal. Bradberry, 29, was a second-team All-Pro in 2022.

The Eagles are also likely to make a push to re-sign safety CJ Gardner-Johnson, who is also an upcoming free agent.