The new Super Bowl champions, the Philadelphia Eagles, have suffered their first casualty of the offseason. The team has decided to part ways with star defensive back, Darius Slay, in a salary-cap saving move. By releasing Slay, the Eagles will save $4.3 million though they will have to carry his $13.8 million cap figure until the month of June. The cornerback was instrumental in building Philadelphia’s defensive unit into what it is today. Not to mention, he was vital in the team’s two recent Super Bowl appearances, especially the one they just won. Unfortunately, Philadelphia is now feeling some of the ramifications that comes with being the Super Bowl champions. Still, Darius Slay can call himself a Super Bowl champion and plans on playing at least one more season before retiring.
Philadelphia Eagles Letting Darius Slay Go
Darius Slay’s Impact
For many seasons now, Darius Slay has been of the premier cornerbacks in the NFL. He first made a name for himself with the Detroit Lions before joining the Philadelphia Eagles. He is a six-time Pro-Bowler for a reason and is also a one-time All-Pro Team member. Throughout his career, he has logged 28 interceptions including a league-best eight in the 2017 season and 160 passes defended. On top of this, Slay has also recorded 16 tackles for a loss, 619 combined tackles, and 516 solo tackles.
During his time with the Eagles, the former Mississippi State product came away with 56 passes defended, 272 tackles, and nine interceptions. This past season, Darius Slay still had some shining moments as he authored a forced fumble, one fumble recovery, and 13 passes defensed. With the emergence of Cooper DeJean and Quinyon Mitchell, some of the pressure was taken off of Slay. This is also another reason the Eagles were okay with letting the six-time Pro-Bowler walk. Still, Darius Slay should garner some interest on the free agent market.
Potential Destinations for the Six-Time Pro-Bowler
There are a couple of teams who could use Darius Slay’s veteran expertise. One team is the Detroit Lions. Why not have a reunion? The team could use some defensive depth and Slay could provide some valuable veteran experience to a relatively young secondary. Especially with Carlton Davis set to test free agency. The Lions are still in Super Bowl contention and Darius Slay could be the missing piece needed to make the next step.
Another team that comes to mind is the Buffalo Bills. The Bills’ lack of defensive depth came back to bite them in the AFC Championship as many key players were sidelined by injury. Not to mention, Buffalo could lose Rasul Douglas in free agency which would give them an even bigger hole at the cornerback position. Darius Slay certainly could not hurt their defensive unit. Considering all of this, Darius Slay will still have some opportunities to compete for another Super Bowl title despite being released by the new champions.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
