The Philadelphia Eagles probably wouldn’t want to send a top playmaker to their fiercest NFC East rival. So when Darius Slay’s name came up as a topic of trade conversation the other day, it was met with much skepticism. Severe skepticism.
Yes, Slay had requested permission to seek a trade. His agent, Drew Rosenahaus, is simply testing the waters in case a long-term extension doesn’t get done. But the Pro Bowl cornerback remains under team control and the idea of the Eagles trading him to the Dallas Cowboys seemed preposterous. It sounded so ridiculous that Slay himself chimed in to refute the report.
The rumor started when ESPN’s Todd Archer reported that the Eagles “made a call to the Cowboys about Darius Slay.” The internet went wild upon hearing it. Then, Archer took to Twitter to quickly clarify the report: “There was a discussion about the Cowboys’ potential interest in Darius Slay once the Eagles gave him permission to seek a trade. Eagles did not make the call to Dallas.”
Dallas pivoted to Plan B and traded for one-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year Stephon Gilmore, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. They sent a 2023 third-round pick to the Indianapolis Colts in exchange for the five-time Pro Bowler who has 29 career interceptions and 127 pass breakups. He’ll form a formidable one-two punch at cornerback alongside Trevon Diggs. The Cowboys also plan to re-sign linebacker Leighton Vander Esch in free agency.
James Bradberry, Eagles Agree to 3-Year Contract
Slay appears to be staying in Philly and he’ll be locking down opposing receivers opposite James Bradberry for a second straight year. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Eagles agreed to terms with the All-Pro cornerback on March 14. He returns to the nest on a 3-year deal worth $38 million, including $20 million in fully guaranteed money.
Bradberry told The Inquirer that he turned down “more lucrative offers” to return to Philly because he believes the team is poised to make another Super Bowl run. He also likes his fit in new defensive coordinator Sean Desai’s defensive scheme. It was a no-brainer.
“It feels good to come back and keep trying to compete for the ultimate goal which is the Super Bowl,” Bradberry told Josh Tolentino. “Of course, I wanted to go to a place where I got paid a substantial amount — enough to where I felt comfortable with. But I also wanted the fit to be right, as well. That was important for me.”
C.J. Gardner-Johnson Next to Sign?
Safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson remains unsigned in free agency with the Philadelphia Eagles and Cincinnati Bengals emerging as the two finalists to ink him to a hefty deal. The 25-year-old was wearing his Eagles helmet while playing video games on a live Twitch stream on March 14, then re-tweeted a photo showing him in a No. 3 midnight green jersey.
CBS Sports’ Jeff Kerr reported that Gardner-Johnson could be the next player to sign following Bradberry taking a hometown discount. It’ll be interesting to see what happens. Gardner-Johnson is looking at $13.3 million per year in free agency (via Spotrac).
