UPDATE: After the initial reports of his release, the Philadelphia Eagles never officially released Slay, and current reports indicate that he will now be staying in Philadelphia.
The Philadelphia Eagles are releasing cornerback Darius Slay.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter was the first to report that the Eagles plan to let go of Slay as free agency officially opens.
A second-round pick back in 2013, Slay earned an 83.9 coverage grade over the past three seasons that ranks fourth among all cornerbacks who played at least 1,000 coverage snaps in that span. Since 2020, he ranks 27th with 24 forced incompletions in the regular season and has allowed 143 receptions from 222 targets.
Slay will likely be highly sought-after at 32 years old and coming off two straight seasons in Philadelphia during which he produced coverage grades of 77.3 and 84.5, ranking third and 11th, respectively.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at some potential new homes for the soon-to-be former Philadelphia Eagle.
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Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders signed Brandon Facyson, who was on their roster in 2021 and spent last season with the Indianapolis Colts, but he has never produced a season-long PFF coverage grade of 60.0 or better. Rock Ya-Sin, who had five pass breakups for the Raiders a year ago, is a free agent himself, so there’s an opportunity for a huge upgrade on the outside in Slay.
New England Patriots
The Patriots just re-signed Jonathan Jones, who ranked 45th among cornerbacks with a 67.9 PFF coverage grade in 2022, but they could stand to upgrade from Jalen Mills whose 42.7 PFF coverage grade ranked second lowest at the position last season.
Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals are losing Byron Murphy Jr. and currently have 2021 fourth-round draft pick Marco Wilson as their top cornerback. Wilson recorded the 70th-ranked PFF coverage grade at the position last season, so this is a roster crying out for cornerback help.
Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals might feel good about the way 2022 second-round draft pick Cam Taylor-Britt ended his rookie season, posting 85.3 and 76.6 PFF coverage grades in the final two games of the year, but with Eli Apple currently a free agent and Chidobe Awuzie tearing his ACL in the middle of the season, cornerback is a need.
Atlanta Falcons
A.J. Terrell locks down one cornerback spot for the Falcons, but questions remain on the other side. Casey Hayward is under contract for the 2023 season and ranked 54th at the position with a 65.6 PFF coverage grade in 2022, but he is coming off a season-ending injury.
Baltimore Ravens
Marcus Peters is headed for free agency, meaning the Ravens are losing the 46th-ranked cornerback from 2022 in terms of PFF coverage grade. Brandon Stephens would be the likely choice from the roster right now, but his 50.2 PFF coverage grade ranked 107th. The issue here would be cost, with the Ravens tight against the cap and uncertainty surrounding quarterback Lamar Jackson’s future with the team.
Minnesota Vikings
This might have been the perfect spot for Slay had the Vikings not opened free agency by spending money on Byron Murphy Jr., who ranked 62nd at the position with a 63.9 PFF coverage grade last season. It’s unlikely that they dip into free agency again, but Slay would be a huge upgrade in that secondary.
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