During the opening week of free agency, the Eagles gave cornerback Darius Slay permission to seek a trade, then planned to release Slay, before agreeing on a new two-year contract that kept Slay in Philadelphia. Slay now says that during that process, he almost went to Baltimore.
On his Big Play Slay podcast, Slay explained that the Ravens were offering him a contract he was satisfied with, but Eagles General Manager Howie Roseman ultimately convinced Slay to stay.
“I was almost -- this close -- a Baltimore Raven,” Slay said. “I was this close. This close. But I wanted to be an Eagle, I stayed an Eagle, because I know me and Howie were going to figure something out. But the Baltimore Ravens were the first team that called, and they offered just what I wanted, and I just said, if the Eagles do that, I’m going to stay an Eagle. It was nice. I almost was a Raven.”
Slay arrived in Philadelphia three years ago in a trade from Detroit, and the Eagles have been pleased with Slay’s play since. His contract almost proved to be too much for the Eagles this year, but Slay is happy enough in Philadelphia that he was willing to re-do his deal to stay.