The Philadelphia Eagles need cap room, they have a great group of young corners in Cooper DeJean and Quinyon Mitchell to build around, and that meant former Mississippi State star Darius Slay had to be let go.
Fantastic with the Eagles, the 34-year-old Slay – who made 42 tackles with six interceptions in his two years at Mississippi State in 2011 and 2012 – leaves after making 63 tackles in the Super Bowl season.
Big Play Slay saved his best for the playoffs, making 14 stops in the four-game run with a key interception in the Wild Card win over the Packers and with three broken up passes in the Divisional Round victory over the Rams.
A free agent pickup by the Eagles after the 2019 campaign, Slay came up with three Pro Bowl seasons making 272 tackles with nine picks and 56 broken up passes in his six seasons.
So now what? Here are the five top potential landing spots.
Eagles releasing CB Darius Slay. (via @rapsheet) pic.twitter.com/b581TGQeE5
— NFL (@NFL) March 3, 2025
5. San Francisco 49ers
Slay wouldn’t exactly be a Final Piece type of pickup, but the 49ers will lose parts in the secondary this offseason. If he can come in at a reasonable price, he might fill a huge hole in a stopgap role.
4. Minnesota Vikings
Getting Slay would solve a few problems. The Vikings might need a veteran corner depending on how free agency goes. And getting Slay would keep him away from division rival Detroit and …
3. Green Bay Packers
With the 23rd pick the Packers are in a perfect position to go with one of the young star corners in the upcoming draft – cornerback is a strength this year – but they need several new options.
2. Jacksonville Jaguars
It wouldn’t be a shock if the Jaguars went with a corner in the second round, but that might not be it. They should take at least two, maybe three defensive backs, and they need a veteran mentor who can play right away.
1. Detroit Lions
The most likely option is to go back to Detroit.
Drafted in the second round – and 36th overall – by Detroit (one pick after the Eagles took Zach Ertz), Slay was a decent part of the rotation for four years before turning in an All-Pro season in 2017. The Lions need defensive back help, and few are better suited to work as a veteran leader of a secondary.