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In a surprising turn of events, Darius Slay will be staying at the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Eagles' defensive unit has been hit hard by the dawn of free agency. It was an impending purge foreseen by the franchise and they have a strong awareness of the pain it could bring.
The team honestly has little to no ability in preventing the dismantling of a defense that led them to the Super Bowl last season. However, the return of Pro Bowl cornerback Darius Slay offers a glimpse of redemption for a decimated defense.
Slay has definitely been one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL over the years. The five-time Pro Bowler joined the Eagles in 2020 after a successful seven seasons with the Detroit Lions. He has since then been a crucial player in the Eagles' defensive unit.
The cornerback brought much-needed experience and leadership to the secondary. He has done an excellent job in limiting the production of wide receivers across the NFL, which is evident in the success of the team since he joined.
Darius Slay's performances in the 2022 season saw him record 55 combined tackles (40 solos), 15 assist tackles, 14 passes defended and 3 interceptions. The veteran also brings efficient leadership to the Eagles' locker room as a captain. He helps foster a culture of hard work and serves as a mentor for young players.
Darius Slay can be a key component of the Eagles' defensive rebuild
The Eagles are left with no choice but to put things back together on defense. The team has lost its defensive coordinator to the head coaching role at the Arizona Cardinals. The core of what was the league's second-best defense also won't be with them next season.
This is a huge task for new defensive coordinator Sean Desai. The team lost key players in free agency, such as Javon Hargrave to the San Francisco 49ers, T.J. Edwards to the Chicago Bears, and Marcus Epps to the Las Vegas Raiders. Kyzir White signed for the Arizona Cardinals, a worrying loss for Philadelphia.
The exodus seems to have stopped for the Eagles, as some key players have re-signed. Fletcher Cox has signed a one-year, $10 million deal, and cornerback James Bradberry signed a three-year $38 million extension. Next up is safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson, who Philadelphia will try to re-sign.
Having Darius Slay back in the team offers a glitter of hope during a pretty difficult period. The franchise must now embark on a mission to rebuild their defense. It could potentially take a period of time to replicate what they had last season.
It will be interesting to see what they can do with the six picks they have in next month's NFL draft, which will be crucial to their ambitions.
