Conflicting reports emerge about Eagles Pro Bowler’s desire to be traded
The rumors are said to be contract-related, and the Eagles hope to retain said player.
The Eagles could be losing a crucial piece of their defense, and that's before even considering all of the pending free agents on the unit.
Fletcher Cox, Brandon Graham, Javon Hargrave, and James Bradberry are just some of the defensive players for the Birds who are set to enter free agency. On Friday morning, Dianna Russini of ESPN reported that there is another key defender who could be on the way out.
According to Russini, the Eagles have given star cornerback Darius Slay permission to seek a trade. The team still hopes to keep Slay, but Slay's agent Drew Rosenhaus is officially reaching out to other teams.
Slay was elite in 2022, finishing the 2022 season with a 73.1 PFF grade. The veteran corner had 55 combined tackles, and three INTs and was selected to the Pro Bowl for the fifth time.
It will be interesting to see how this plays out. One would assume that reaching a new deal with Bradberry would become a priority if Slay is indeed traded.
However, there seems to be some disagreement among NFL insiders on the Slay rumors. According to Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk, Slay "did not request a trade."
From Florio:
According to multiple reports, Slay did not ask the Eagles for a chance to find a new place to play. It appears that the development is tied to Slay’s contractual situation.
Slay is headed into the final year of his current contract and is set to make $17 million with a cap hit of just over $26.1 million. A new deal would bring down that cap hit, but Friday’s development would seem to be a sign that any talks on that front have not been productive.
Slay would likely be looking for a new deal from a new team as well, so the chance to speak to other clubs could lead to movement that leads to Slay staying in Philly rather than moving on this offseason.
Florio's report indicates that this could be a negotiation tactic by Slay. Perhaps these trade rumors lead to a new contract in Philadelphia. However, it could work the other way, with Slay being traded and signing a new deal with a new team.
One team to keep an eye on if the Eagles do trade Slay is the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens recently hired former Eagles assistant Dennard Wilson as their defensive backs coach. Slay was a noted fan of Wilson, and was seemingly upset by Wilson not receiving the defensive coordinator gig in Philadelphia.
