Releasing Darius Slay was the Right Move, Though a Painful One

The veteran CB was popular in the locker room and among the fan base

Age and money. Those are the two reasons why Darius Slay is gone.

It’s not like he’s the first player to fall victim to those two tenets of the game.

As much as it no doubt pained the Eagles to let go of a player popular not only in the locker room but also among the fan base, it was the right decision.

Slay can still play, despite his second-half slide, but it’s better to part ways with a player a year or two early than a year or two too late.

And just how steep was Slay’s slide when opposing quarterbacks targeted him?

Leave it to NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Reuben Frank to break it down:

Slay’s first eight games: 26-for-53 (49.1%), two touchdowns, three interceptions, a 51.5 passer rating, completion percentage third in NFL.

Slay’s last 12 games: 27-for-37 (71.1%), 346 yards, four touchdowns, no interceptions, 134.4 passer rating, a completion percentage 59th of 65, and a passer rating last at 65.

So, maybe there were some signs of decline for the 32-year-old Slay.

MORE THAN A NO. 1

To me, he’s still a No. 1 cornerback, and those are hard to find.

The Eagles still have one, though, with the return of James Bradberry, and perhaps his return is another reason Slay is gone.

He is two years younger, and the Eagles weren’t going to pay two top-tier contracts at the same position.

Never mind, for the moment, who will line up opposite Bradberry, because Slay was the consummate teammate.

He was so popular, his teammates voted him a team captain, the first time in his 10 seasons that he had been a captain, and his reaction to that honor left him overcome with emotion.

Slay's reaction to being named Eagles team captain was just fantastic 🥺

Thanks for everything on and off the field, @bigplay24slay 💚🤝 pic.twitter.com/ypAAQNx736

— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) March 15, 2023

He made his teammates laugh, kept things loose, and every Friday, he would walk to each locker inside the locker room and offer his teammates banana pudding made by his wife Jennifer.

Some teammate reaction on social media after hearing the news:

Chauncey Gardner-Johnson: “Damn Cuzo…MY MENTOR ALL YEAR THANK YOU…”

Zech McPhearson: “Appreciate you bro”

Lane Johnson: “Dang bro! Gonna miss y’ll in our locker room. Go get yours!”

REPLACING A NO. 1 CORNERBACK

There will be options.

After all, nobody knew who would start opposite Slay last year until May 18 when the Eagles signed Bradberry.

Players will shake loose after the draft in late April. They always do, and on June 1, the Eagles will be another $17.5 million beneath the salary cap, which is what the Eagles save by designating him a post-June 1 release. 

Maybe some of that savings even go to a contract extension for Jalen Hurts.

Hurts, though, can’t play corner.

There are several in a draft deep at the position who can, so it’s likely the Eagles select one because they can’t be thinking that McPhearson can make that leap.

Or can they?

They will tell us that, probably. It’s what they told us about Mac McCain, Kary Vincent, and Tay Gowan until Bradberry came along.

The draft seems the best option.

That doesn’t mean Slay's replacement comes with their 10th pick in the first round or even their 30th. They better get one in the first two days, though, because the hit rate on CBs decreases after the first two rounds.

The Athletic’s Zach Berman recently revealed this information:

In the past five years, 15 different cornerbacks have made first or second-team All-Pro. Ten of those players came in the first round (Nos. 4, 9, 18, 5, 16, 27, 10, 18, 14, 27), three in the second rounds (overall pick Nos. 62, 51, 38), in the fifth round, and one undrafted free agent.

It’s up to the Eagles to do with this information what they will.

Ed Kracz is the publisher of SI.com’s Fan Nation Eagles Today and co-host of the Eagles Unfiltered Podcast. Check out the latest Eagles news at www.SI.com/NFL/Eagles or www.eaglestoday.com and please follow him on Twitter: @kracze.