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It turns out the Philadelphia Eagles reportedly didn’t call a division rival to see if they were interested in trading for cornerback Darius Slay.
ESPN’s Todd Archer initially reported the Eagles called the Dallas Cowboys to gauge their interest in a potential deal. Dallas instead ended up acquiring cornerback Stephon Gilmore from the Indianapolis Colts for a 2023 fifth-round compensatory pick, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport.
Archer later offered a clarification, saying: “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.”
John Clark of NBC Sports Philadelphia also reported the Eagles did not call the Cowboys to gauge their interest in Slay.
Cornerback was something of a concern for the Cowboys entering the offseason with Anthony Brown and C.J. Goodwin hitting free agency, but the Gilmore trade helps address the depth behind Trevon Diggs.
The Slay situation remains one to watch this offseason, as ESPN’s Dianna Russini reported the Eagles allowed him to seek a trade even though they remain “hopeful” he’ll stay.
Slay also seemingly wants to remain in Philadelphia:
Still, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported the cornerback is looking for a new deal with more guarantees, while The MMQB’s Albert Breer noted he didn’t ask for a trade and that “this is a part of negotiations.”
Slay is entering the final year of his three-year, $50.05 million contract and has the highest cap hit among all cornerbacks in 2023 at $26.1 million.
There is no questioning his talent, though, as his resume includes five Pro Bowls and a first-team All-Pro selection. He led the league with eight interceptions in 2017 with the Detroit Lions and finished the 2022 campaign with 55 tackles, 14 pass breakups and three interceptions.
It remains to be seen whether he will be with the Eagles next season, but a trade to Dallas seems to be off the table.