Eagles Rumors: Darius Slay Allowed to Seek Trade; Philly 'Hopeful' CB Stays

Already faced with the prospect of losing several key players from the team that just played in the Super Bowl, the Philadelphia Eagles are allowing Darius Slay to seek a trade.

Per ESPN's Dianna Russini, the Eagles have given Slay's agent, Drew Rosenhaus, permission to seek a trade, but they are "hopeful" of finding a solution to keep him in Philadelphia.

Replying to a message from teammate DeVonta Smith, Slay indicated he wants to continue playing in Philadelphia:

The MMQB's Albert Breer noted Slay didn't ask for a trade, and this is likely part of ongoing contract negotiations with the Eagles. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Slay wants a new contract with guaranteed money because he believes he deserves more money:

It's going to be difficult for the Eagles to keep all of their key contributors from the 2022 season together. Javon Hargrave, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, James Bradberry, Fletcher Cox, Brandon Graham, Isaac Seumalo and Miles Sanders are among their notable free agents.

Hargrave, Gardner-Johnson and Bradberry are arguably the three best unrestricted free agents on the market regardless of position. NFL.com's Gregg Rosenthal ranked them in the top four with Orlando Brown Jr. at No. 2 the only other player in the mix.

The Eagles currently have $7.4 million in cap space available before free agency begins next week.

During a March 3 appearance on the Montgomery & Co. podcast (h/t The Philadelphia Inquirer), Slay said he wants to stay with the Eagles and hopes to work out an extension with the team this offseason.

"I love Philly, man. I plan on staying on Philly, but if it don't happen, I know I got one year left here. I'd love to stay in Philly for sure," he said.

The Eagles might be reluctant to extend Slay because of his age. He turned 32 on Jan. 1 and is still playing well, but cornerbacks over the age of 30 don't tend to get lucrative long-term deals.

Slay has one season remaining on the three-year, $50.05 million contract he signed with the Eagles in March 2020. The five-time Pro Bowler has the highest cap hit among all cornerbacks in 2023 at $26.1 million.

The Eagles originally acquired Slay in a March 2020 trade with the Detroit Lions for two draft picks. He has appeared in 48 games over the past three seasons and made the Pro Bowl in each of the previous two years.

Slay finished second on the team with 14 pass breakups and tied for second with three interceptions last season.