The Philadelphia Eagles are set to let go of their veteran cornerback Darius Slay. The departure should happen as a post-June 1 deal to help the team keep $4.3 million in cap space.
The six-time Pro Bowler has stayed five seasons with the team, where he served as the Philadelphia Eagles captain and helped to encourage younger defensive backs.
The team will now be facing major free agency decisions with more than $20 million kept in cap space with the inclusion of Milton Williams, linebacker Zack Baun, and defensive linemen Josh Sweat.
Howie Roseman, the team’s general manager, has reiterated his position on the need for the team to depend on rookie deals, and the Eagles prepared for his transition as they drafted stars like Cooper DeJean and Quinyon Mitchell; the two players performed well in their rookie seasons.
Vic Fangio, the team’s defensive coordinator, is now confronted with the challenges of keeping DeJean in the slot or moving him outside. Slay, a 34-year-old cornerback, made a record of 28 interceptions over 12 NFL seasons, in addition to standout years with the Detroit Lions, who drafted him in 2013.
Slay became a first-team All-Pro in 2017 after he led the league with 26 passes defended and eight interceptions.
