Darius Slay was a heck of a player.
Thirteen seasons. Six Pro Bowl trips. One All-Pro nod. Two Super Bowl appearances. Twenty eight career interceptions. League leader in passes defender and interceptions (2017) and fumble return yards and touchdowns (2021).
Slay was a lot of things: A No. 1 cornerback on very good defenses, durable, a player young guys in his position group looked up to, and confident. He’s a borderline Eagles Hall of Famer.
He also belongs on any list of the best trades Howie Roseman has ever made.
I remember the day well: March 19, 2020.
The Eagles sent third and fifth-round picks in the 2020 NFL Draft to the Detroit Lions in exchange for Slay. At first, it was easy to be skeptical: Slay didn’t have his best season in 2019. He had hamstring issues. He was coming off his age-28 season, and would have to hold up into his early 30s to make the deal worth it for the Eagles.
Ultimately, that’s exactly what happened. Slay (like the rest of the team) wasn’t great in 2020. But he took off in 2021, showing he had a ton left in the tank. That continued into 2022. By 2023, it felt like the relationship had reached its conclusion. It hadn’t. Slay returned for 2024, helped lead two rookie corners, and made enough plays to be the No. 2 outside corner on the best Eagles defense I’ve ever watched.
Any list of Roseman’s best trades is long—he’s been doing this a long, long time. But off the top of my head, here’s what comes to mind:
2022: C.J. Gardner-Johnson and a 7th rounder for 5th and 6th round picks
2022: A.J. Brown for the No. 18 and No. 101 picks in the NFL Draft
2021: 1st and 3rd round picks in exchange for Carson Wentz
2017: Jay Ajayi for a 4th round pick
2016: 1st and 4th round picks in exchange for Sam Bradford
2014: Darren Sproles for a 5th round pick
Slay belongs on that list, probably only behind trading for Brown and fleecing two teams out of middling quarterbacks. The Eagles fixed the No. 1 cornerback spot on the team for a half decade in exchange for two mid-round picks. What a deal. What a run. What a career for Slay.
Let’s talk about Bryce Harper’s WBC performance.
Here’s what Dallas Goedert’s new contract is telling us.
Thanks for reading and subscribing!
