Decorated 32-year-old cornerback seeks new team to pick up $17 million in final year of contract. Interested parties should contact Howie Roseman, general manager of the Philadelphia Eagles. Serious inquiries only.
So begins the process for Darius Slay. After 10 years in the league and three years as an Eagle, the five-time Pro Bowler now has permission to seek a trade with any NFL team.
After a strong 2022 season that ended with a Super Bowl appearance, it’s easy to question Roseman’s motives. But the real question should be, “What is Slay worth?”
With more than $9 million in bonuses due on top of his salary, Slay is worth exactly $21,265,000 against Philadelphia’s 2023 cap. But the team can save almost $4 million if they trade him before June 1. After that, trading Slay would create over $17 million in cap space.
The Eagles obviously value the cap room over the cornerback’s recent play, but that doesn’t mean other teams won’t value a player with Slay’s experience.
Would a team like Chicago, flush with picks from Carolina and $75 million in cap space look to improve their fourth-worst passing defense by trading with Philadelphia? Could the Lions improve the league’s worst passing defense by bringing Slay back to Detroit? It all depends on the compensation.
The Lions received third and fifth-round picks for Slay in 2020, but at his age he’s certainly worth less now. According to NFLtraderumors.co, four cornerbacks were traded in 2022 and of the four, only Troy Hill brought at least a fifth-round pick in return.
For what it’s worth, Slay said he’d like to stay in Philadelphia. Now the Eagles, and potential suitors, need to decide if he’s worth it.
