Howie Roseman and the Eagles front office continue to dig themselves out of a $40 million cap hole. With several veteran players linked to trade or release rumors, it’s refreshing to learn that Darius Slay will be part of the franchise’s plans moving forward. There’s been a rotating door of disappointing number one cornerbacks for years now, and Slay could be the one to end that curse.

The 30-year old cornerback held a $15.75 million cap hit in 2021 (4th highest on the team), and this new deal saves the Eagles over $9 million in cap space. Howie pulls this same maneuver almost every offseason, which frees up money now but continues to pay players in the future. Slay’s $12 million base salary gets reduced in 2021, but he’s still paid the difference between those salaries through a signing bonus, which is then prorated over the remainder of his contact.

Slay signed a 3-year, $50 million deal with the team last offseason after the Lions shipped him for a 3rd and 5th round pick. The former first-team All-Pro cornerback showed why the Eagles paid him so much money during the first half of the season. He didn’t allow more than 74 receiving yards through 11 weeks but struggled down the stretch against elite receivers like Davante Adams and DK Metcalf.

Regardless, this contract restructure was a no-brainer. Slay is still considered to be a top-tier cornerback and quickly became a leader for the Eagles’ defense. With the team in obvious rebuild mode, it’s beneficial to have someone like Darius Slay on the team. He’s still highly productive at his position and can mentor the younger players brought in to turn this franchise around.

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