Raven Country

Ravens Nearly Landed Eagles All-Pro

Philadelphia Eagles star cornerback Darius Slay nearly joined the Baltimore Ravens last offseason.

Jon Alfano

Nov 26, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Darius Slay (2) reacts after breaking up a pass play against the Buffalo Bills during the second quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 26, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Darius Slay (2) reacts after breaking up a pass play against the Buffalo Bills during the second quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports / Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
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With the Baltimore Ravens' secondary already being one of the best in the NFL, one could only imagine if they had another star cornerback to work with.

As it turns out, that exact scenario nearly happened last offseason. Darius Slay, a six-time Pro Bowl selection and 2017 first-team All-Pro, was released by the Philadelphia Eagles in March of 2023, only to sign a re-structured deal a day later. During that brief period of being a free agent, Slay nearly became a Raven.

However, a conversation with Eagles chief security officer Dom DiSandro, who became known around the league after a confrontation with San Francisco 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw last season, convinced Slay to stay in Philadelphia. The star corner recalled the saga during an appearance on the "Pulp Phiction" podcast.

“I really committed to the Ravens and was finna go. Then Dom called me and said, ‘Slay, I want you here.’ And I’m like, you know what Dom, you calling me Dom, I’m coming back,” Slay said.

The Ravens signing Slay would've certainly had an interesting domino effect for the future. Would they still take Nate Wiggins and T.J. Tampa in this year's draft? Would Marlon Humphrey and Brandon Stephens had the same production they did last season? We'll never know.

It goes to show that sometimes the most interesting deals in the NFL aren't the ones that are made, but the ones that aren't.

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Jon Alfano
JON ALFANO

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