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Darius Slay

Cowboys Considered Darius Slay As Trade Option

By | at March 14, 2023 5:44 pm

The Cowboys made a splash in their secondary today when they acquired former Defensive Player of the Year Stephon Gilmore. Before they acquired the cornerback from the Colts, Dallas pondered making a call to a division rival.

[RELATED: Colts To Trade Stephon Gilmore To Cowboys]

While an initial report indicated the Cowboys discussed Darius Slay with the Eagles, these proceedings might not have progressed that far. ESPN’s Todd Archer clarifies on Twitter that the Eagles did not reach out to Dallas, so the Cowboys were clearly sniffing around at CB options. But the team had Slay on the radar. Jane Slater of the NFL Network tweets that the Cowboys indeed kicked around the idea of acquiring Slay.

While the Cowboys could theoretically carve out enough room to afford a pair of pricey cornerbacks, there’s a better chance the two potential moves were mutually exclusive, meaning Dallas preferred Gilmore.

Slay was recently granted permission to seek a trade out of Philly. It’s uncertain which side opted for a divorce; there were reports that the Eagles wanted to keep the cornerback around and that Slay wanted to stay in Philadelphia. The most likely explanation is that the Eagles wanted Slay to take a pay cut, and both sides may be exhausting their options before the player gives in to a reduced contract or is cut.

One year remains on Slay’s Eagles extension, a three-year pact worth $50MM. The 11th-year veteran is attached to a $17MM base salary in 2023 and a lofty $26.1MM cap number thanks to restructures in 2021 and 2022. No guaranteed money remains on the deal. The team could open up $17.5MM in cap space by making Slay a post-June 1 cut.

Addressing the trade topic on his latest podcast, Slay said he still wants to finish his career with the Eagles. That said, he confirmed he will continue his career elsewhere if that is what the Eagles end up deciding. The team locked up James Bradberry earlier today.

“I know what’s going on. I hear the rumors; I hear everything,” Slay said (h/t NBC Sports Philadelphia). “I see everything all over the globe, all over the internet and I just want my fans to know Slay did not ask to be traded. But this is part of the business. There’s no bad blood against neither one of us, me or Howie [Roseman]. None of that. We all good, great understanding. It’s just the business part of it. A lot of guys go up for trades, you know, they got a lot of money involved in this situation so it’s nothing big, nothing too serious. It’s just part of the business, man.

“I do want to finish my career as an Eagle but we’ll see. We be looking forward to it, man. Got time here. But best believe, I do want to be an Eagle. But if my job requires me to go elsewhere, then I’ll go.”

Since joining the Eagles in 2020, the cornerback has earned a pair of Pro Bowl nods. This past season, Slay finished with 55 tackles, 14 passes defended, and three interceptions. He ended up landing at 21st among 118 qualifying cornerbacks in 2022, per Pro Football Focus…a considerable drop from his fourth-place finish in 2021 but a significant jump from his grades in 2019 and 2020. For comparison’s sake, Gilmore finished this past season as PFF’s ninth-best CB.

3 comments Dallas Cowboys Philadelphia Eagles

Eagles To Allow Darius Slay To Seek Trade

By | at March 10, 2023 10:52 am

10:52am: Slay and the Eagles had been discussing a new contract, according to Jeff Howe of The Athletic (on Twitter). Those discussions not progressing led to the team permitting Slay to find a new home. With Slay having not requested a move, a resolution could still take place. But the chance Slay leaves Philadelphia after three seasons should be considered reasonable.

9:12am: The Eagles have three secondary starters days away from free agency. One of the two expected to return now does not appear a lock to be part of the team’s 2023 roster.

Darius Slay recently received permission to seek a trade, Dianna Russini of ESPN.com tweets. The Eagles want to find a solution to keep Slay in town, Russini adds, but the standout cornerback will have a chance to be traded for a second time. The Eagles initially acquired Slay via trade from the Lions back in 2020.

It should be expected Slay is moved, Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. Slay did not ask to be traded, according to McLane, who adds the Eagles have likely approached the veteran cover man about a pay cut (Twitter links). Slay said recently he wanted an extension, but it is unclear if the team is willing to give him a second contract at this stage of his career.

One year remains on Slay’s Eagles extension, a three-year pact worth $50MM. The Eagles gave Slay that deal upon acquiring him. Slay, 32, has provided a tremendous boost to the NFC East team’s secondary, remaining one of the league’s best corners into his early 30s. The Eagles, however, have the 11th-year veteran on a high 2023 base salary ($17MM). In order to keep Slay, the team would almost certainly need to lower his cap number from its current $26.1MM place. Slay’s contract number reached this place as a result of restructures in 2021 and 2022. No guaranteed money remains on the deal.

A trade before June 1 would not make much financial sense for Philly. The team would be hit with $22MM-plus in dead money by moving Slay elsewhere before that pivotal date. A deal after June 1 would create $17.5MM in cap space — though, the team could not use any of the new funds until June.

The Eagles have been linked to hiring Matt Patricia as their linebackers coach. Slay and Patricia notoriously did not get along in Detroit. It would be incredibly odd to see a team prioritize a position coach over a productive player, so it should not be assumed that is a factor here. Patricia has not yet been hired, and the financial component will be the driver of a separation — if it ends up taking place.

The Eagles have James Bradberry, C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Marcus Epps unsigned for 2023. They have identified Gardner-Johnson as a player they want to keep. Howie Roseman‘s team is frequently making splashy acquisitions and sweeping roster changes. The Eagles’ defense may look quite different in 2023, with the likes of Fletcher Cox, Javon Hargrave, Brandon Graham, Kyzir White and T.J. Edwards set to hit the market as well.

8 comments Newsstand Philadelphia Eagles

Eagles Eyeing Matt Patricia; Return To Patriots Still In Play?

By | at March 8, 2023 12:01 pm

Matt Patricia has not landed a job just yet, but it should be expected the veteran defensive coach (feat. a memorable 2022 on the offensive side) lands elsewhere in 2023, Dan Graziano of ESPN.com notes. Patricia has met with the Broncos, but Sean Payton pointed to new DC Vance Joseph needing to sign off on a hire.

The Eagles also have Patricia on their radar. Nick Sirianni is aiming to add a veteran staffer for the linebackers coach position vacated by Nick Rallis, and InsidetheBirds.com’s Adam Caplan notes the Patricia addition is “probably going to happen.” The defending NFC champions would place Patricia as a senior member of the staff if hired, noting Sirianni is prioritizing experience for this hire.

This would be an interesting fit, given the Patricia-Darius Slay relationship from the duo’s Lions days. Slay’s dislike for Patricia was bad enough it affected the cornerback’s performance, per Caplan, and the accomplished cover man said he and Patricia’s relationship was “destroyed” as early as 2018, the latter’s first season as Lions HC. Ahead of Patricia’s final year in Detroit, the Lions sent Slay to the Eagles for third- and fifth-round picks. A recent Slay tweet regarding a Patricia Philadelphia arrival pointed to animosity remaining. Although Patricia would not be coaching Slay in Philly, this reunion would certainly bring an awkward component into the Eagles’ defensive equation.

Patricia, however, has spoken with multiple teams about a role, Graziano adds. Patricia’s Patriots contract has expired, and his most recent New England arrangement did not come with much compensation from the Pats. The Lions still owing Patricia money — as part of his five-year contract — aided the Patriots in paying their versatile assistant, with Ben Volin of the Boston Globe describing the situation as the AFC East team not needing to pay an offensive coordinator last season.

Patricia ended up the de facto Pats OC in 2022. As most assumed, it did not go well. The longtime defensive coach and ex-Lions leader, however, did not want to serve in that role, per Volin, who notes Patricia ended up doing so as a favor to Bill Belichick. The Patriots boss wanted a coach he could trust at the helm on offense. The Pats had lost longtime OC Josh McDaniels, and rather than hire a true play-caller, Belichick took the unusual step of putting Patricia in that post. The Pats have since added another ex-staffer, Bill O’Brien, to serve in this capacity.

Patricia gained considerable experience during his second New England stay, playing the lead role on offense with an emphasis on the team’s O-line while working in a front office capacity at points as well. He is the rare modern NFL coach to call plays on both sides of the ball. Patricia seems poised to head to a third organization soon, though Volin adds a path back to New England should still be open due to he and Belichick remaining close. The Patriots have already filled their O-line coach post, hiring Adrian Klemm, while the Broncos have added both inside and outside linebackers coaches.

9 comments New England Patriots Philadelphia Eagles

Latest On Giants WR Darius Slayton

By | at September 3, 2022 11:11 am

Darius Slayton recently generated some interest around the NFL, but it sounds like he’ll be staying in New York for at least Week 1. Giants GM said the wide receiver will be on the team for the start of the season, per Paul Schwartz of the New York Post (on Twitter).

[RELATED: Darius Slayton Generating Trade Interest]

Slayton never appeared to be in the long-term plans of the new Giants regime. The wideout was shopped before the draft, and he was buried on the depth chart by the time the Giants hit the practice field. Still, he managed to secure a roster spot, and for the time being, he’ll slide in behind Kenny Golladay, Kadarius Toney, Sterling Shepard, David Sills, and rookie second-round pick Wan’Dale Robinson on the depth chart.

With Slayton appearing to be on the outs in New York, we heard recently that several teams had reached out to the Giants about a trade. While the 25-year-old is temporarily staying put, he could continue to be a popular name in trade chatter, especially if the Giants struggle. Slayton is due a $2.54MM base salary in 2022, a reasonable salary if a suitor has a role for him.

Slayton found himself in and out of the Giants starting lineup through his first three seasons in the NFL, but he’s shown flashes. Following a productive rookie campaign that saw him finish with 48 receptions for 740 yards and eight touchdowns, Slayton followed that up with 50 catches for 751 yards in 2020. However, he took a step back in 2021, finishing with career-lows in receptions (26), receiving yards (339), and touchdowns (two).

5 comments New York Giants

Restructured Deals: Packers, Broncos, Bills, Patriots, Giants

By | at March 21, 2022 10:29 pm

As free agency continues, teams will keep finding ways to open up additional cap. We’ve had a handful of reworked contracts in recent days, which we’ve compiled below:

  • The Packers opened $10.15MM in cap space by restructuring the contracts of wideout Randall Cobb (which was previously reported) and safety Adrian Amos, per ESPN’s Field Yates (on Twitter). ESPN’s Rob Demovsky tweets that Green Bay turned $5.88MM of Amos’ $7MM base salary into a signing bonus and added four void years.
  • The Broncos opened up some space via a pair of restructured deals. Wideout Tim Patrick converted $6.9MM of his roster bonus into a signing bonus, creating around $4.6MM in cap space, per Mike Klis of 9News in Denver (on Twitter). The Broncos also converted receiver Courtland Sutton‘s $10.5MM roster bonus into a signing bonus, saving $7.875MM in 2022 cap space, per Klis (on Twitter).
  • The Panthers converted $11.765MM of wideout Robby Anderson’s 2022 pay into a signing bonus, creating $5.88MM in cap space, per Yates (on Twitter). Staying in the NFC, Yates also tweets that the Eagles converted $14.88MM of cornerback Darius Slay’s salary into a signing bonus, creating $11.90MM in 2022 cap space.
  • The Giants converted $2.63MM of kicker Graham Gano’s salary into a bonus, creating $1.753MM in cap space, per ESPN’s Jordan Raanan (on Twitter). The team also added a void year to the contract, something GM Joe Schoen was trying to avoid (per Raanan).
  • After getting traded to the Bills, quarterback Case Keenum agreed to rework his contract. Per Yates (on Twitter), Keenum reduced his base salary to $3.5MM. Another AFC East team, the Patriots, also got into the game, reducing defensive end Henry Anderson‘s base salary from $2.5MM to $1.25MM (per Yates).
  • Yates passes along three more restructures (on Twitter): the Vikings opened $6MM in cap space by reworking safety Harrison Smith‘s contract, the Bills opened $5.172MM via linebacker Matt Milano‘s contract, and the Titans opened $6.45MM via linebacker Zach Cunningham‘s contract.
9 comments Buffalo Bills Carolina Panthers Denver Broncos Green Bay Packers Minnesota Vikings New England Patriots New York Giants Philadelphia Eagles Tennessee Titans Transactions

NFL COVID-19 List Updates: 1/4/22-1/5/22

By | at January 5, 2022 11:32 pm

Here are Tuesday and Wednesday’s activations from and placements on the reserve/COVID-19 lists:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

  • Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: TE Jared Cook, LB Damon Lloyd (remains on IR)

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Football Team

3 comments Akeem Davis-Gaither Arizona Cardinals Atlanta Falcons Baltimore Ravens COVID-19 Carolina Panthers Chicago Bears Cincinnati Bengals Cleveland Browns Dallas Cowboys Denver Broncos Detroit Lions Green Bay Packers Houston Texans Indianapolis Colts Jacksonville Jaguars Kansas City Chiefs Las Vegas Raiders Los Angeles Chargers Minnesota Vikings New Orleans Saints New York Giants New York Jets Philadelphia Eagles Pittsburgh Steelers San Francisco 49ers Seattle Seahawks Tampa Bay Buccaneers Tennessee Titans Transactions Washington Commanders

Darius Slay Gives Eagles $9MM+ In Cap Room

By | at March 5, 2021 8:50 am

The Eagles have an extra $9.14MM to work with this offseason, thanks to Darius Slay. The cornerback has agreed to a simple contract restructure, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). 

[RELATED: Eagles Won’t Tender P Cameron Johnston]

Slay inked a three-year, $50MM extension with the Eagles shortly after last year’s blockbuster trade. With today’s move, Slay’s cap hits will grow over the course of the deal, which runs through 2023.

In 15 games last year, the 30-year-old notched 59 tackles, one interception, and six passes defensed. It wasn’t his strongest year, but it wasn’t a banner year for most on the Eagles’ defense either. In his final Lions season, Slay was a Pro Bowler for the third straight time. His best season to date came in 2017 when he came away with a league-high eight interceptions and an eye-popping 26 passes defensed.

The Eagles’ work is far from done — they’re still on track to be well over the 2021 salary cap, which will fall somewhere above $180MM.

5 comments Philadelphia Eagles

AFC Rumors: Slay, Anderson, Browns

By | at April 5, 2020 6:51 pm

Not only were the Raiders in on just about every big-name free agent cornerback, they pursued a Darius Slay deal as well. In addition to offers for Byron Jones and Chris Harris, and what turned out to be a failed deal with Eli Apple, the Raiders kicked the tires on a Slay trade with the Lions, Scott Bair of NBC Sports Bay Area notes. A trade target of multiple teams before the 2019 deadline, Slay ended up going to the Eagles for just third- and fifth-round picks. Of course, it also cost the Eagles $30MM fully guaranteed — third-most among corners.

The Raiders’ pursuit of 2020’s group of available corners points to them giving strong consideration to adding one with one of their two first-round picks, and Bair adds there is a “strong belief” corner is a high Raider priority entering the draft. As it stands now, Las Vegas is understaffed at the position.

Here is the latest from around the AFC:

  • For weeks, rumors of a Jets–Robby Anderson reunion circulated. Anderson said the Jets wanted him back and that he wanted to stay. The team was reported to be eyeing an Anderson agreement — but only at a price. Anderson instead signed a two-year, $20MM Panthers deal. A report emerged this week about the four-year veteran turning down a four-year, $40MM Jets offer, but Anderson (via The Athletic’s Joseph Person, subscription required) denied such a proposal occurred. The Jets moved quickly to replace Anderson with Breshad Perriman for one year and $6MM. They will likely enter the draft with a big receiver need.
  • The Browns have shopped Olivier Vernon in trades and, as of late February, were not expected to pay him the $15.25MM salary he’s due in the final year of his contract. But a change of thinking may have occurred. The Browns are interested in Jadeveon Clowney, but unless that partnership happens, Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer expects Vernon to be back with the Browns in 2020. The Browns still have Myles Garrett on his rookie deal, and Cabot adds that — be it Clowney or Vernon — they are willing to carry a big salary at defensive end next season. Vernon struggled during an injury-plagued 2019 in Cleveland, registering just 3.5 sacks and tallying 11 quarterback hits.
  • Bills GM Brandon Beane sidestepped a question centered around Stefon Diggs‘ satisfaction with his contract. On a $14.4MM-per-year deal, the Buffalo-bound wideout is the NFL’s 13th-highest-paid player at his position. Four years remain on the deal.
25 comments Cleveland Browns Las Vegas Raiders New York Jets

NFC Notes: Slay, Hurts, Cowboys, Bears

By | at April 4, 2020 6:19 pm

The Eagles were eyeing Darius Slay for a long time. In March, they finally got him for the cost of a third-round pick, a fifth-round pick, and a brand new three-year, $50MM deal. We heard all the way back in January that upgrading the secondary was a priority for Philly, and it looks like they could change their style of play a bit on defense. The Eagles traditionally play strictly zone under defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, without a number one corner shadowing the opponent’s top receiver. Slay apparently wants to change that. “I love the challenge,” Slay said of shadowing during his introductory press call, via Kevin Patra of NFL.com.

“I kind of ask for it a lot because the fact that I want the game on me, and I want to help win the game, and if the best route to go about it is me traveling with a guy, then I’ll do it,” he continued. “I’ve been doing it the past four or five years,” the former Lion explained, “and I’ve been very, very successful at it. If they need me to continue to do it, that’s what I’ll continue to do.” Most observers seemed to agree that the Mississippi State product’s play dropped off a little bit last season as he dealt with injury, but the Eagles’ new top corner rejected that assertion. “I had a great year, in my opinion,” Slay said of 2019. “I think I played freaking fantastic. … It was dang sure good enough to make a Pro Bowl third season in a row.”

Here’s more from the NFC:

  • The Cowboys are still waiting to close an extension with starting quarterback Dak Prescott, and while those negotiations continue they’re apparently taking a look at some of the quarterbacks in this year’s draft class. Dallas owner Jerry Jones conducted a video interview with Oklahoma passer Jalen Hurts, via a post on the team’s Instagram page. The Cowboys’ post offers a cool behind the scenes look at what the pre-draft process is looking like for teams in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Hurts is expected by many analysts to go off the board sometime in the second or third-round, which would be pretty early for the Cowboys to be taking a backup. If they do end up picking Hurts and still don’t have a deal done with Prescott, that would certainly raise a lot of eyebrows.
  • Yesterday we passed along word that the Bears were planning on using free agent acquisition Germain Ifedi at guard, and now we have the details on his contract. Ifedi got a $137.5K signing bonus and a $910K base salary on his one-year deal, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. We figured Ifedi didn’t get too much, but this is still pretty cheap for a 25-year-old with versatility who has started 60 games the past four seasons. A first-round pick of the Seahawks back in 2016, Ifedi became a full-time starter but always underwhelmed and never lived up to his draft status. He played both tackle and guard extensively for Seattle.
  • In case you missed it, the Seahawks may only be willing to pay between $13-15MM for Jadeveon Clowney.
55 comments Chicago Bears Dallas Cowboys Philadelphia Eagles

Contract Details: Falcons, Ryan, Eagles, Slay

By | at March 25, 2020 10:55 am

Earlier this week, the Falcons restructured deals with Matt Ryan and others to carve out a bit of extra breathing room. Today, we got some additional details on that adjustment, via Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (on Twitter).

Here’s the breakdown: Ryan’s base pay for 2020 will go down from $8MM to $1.05MM. Meanwhile, tackle Jake Matthews will see his base number trimmed from $10.55MM to $3.55MM. In both cases, the difference was converted to a signing bonus. In effect, it doesn’t change much for either player, but it does allow the Falcons to kick the can down the road and spend more this year.

Here are more deetz from around the NFL, with all links going to Twitter:

7 comments Atlanta Falcons Baltimore Ravens Dallas Cowboys Indianapolis Colts Jake Matthews New York Jets Philadelphia Eagles
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