The latest news from around the division.
Darius Slay landing spots: Best fits for veteran CB with Eagles releasing him after Super Bowl win – Tyler Sullivan, CBS Sports
Philadelphia has their first notable cap casualty of the offseason.
The Philadelphia Eagles are releasing veteran cornerback Darius Slay, according to CBS Sports lead NFL Insider Jonathan Jones. This ends a decorated five-season stint with Philadelphia, which included three Pro Bowl nods and, most recently, a win in Super Bowl LIX.
The writing was on the wall for Slay’s tenure to come to a close with the Eagles this offseason since the 34-year-old was entering the final year of his contract. On top of entering what would’ve been a lame-duck year, there was also no guaranteed money left on his contract, which further emphasized either his release or a restructuring of some sort. The club has since opted for the former, and Slay will now enter the open market.
As ESPN reports, the Eagles will be releasing Slay with a post-June 1 designation, which means the organization will clear $4.3 million off its salary cap this offseason.
Slay joined the Eagles in March of 2020 when the club executed a trade with the Detroit Lions, who drafted him in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft out of Mississippi State. During his time in Detroit, Slay established himself as one of the league’s top corners, earning three Pro Bowl nods and a first-team All-Pro honor in 2017 after co-leading the league in interceptions.
This past regular season, Slay started in all 14 of his games played, notching 49 tackles, 13 pass breakups, and one forced fumble. In coverage, he allowed an 81.9 passer rating and a 54.7 completion percentage when targeted. During Philadelphia’s playoff run to a Super Bowl LIX title, Slay started all four postseason games and totaled five pass breakups and an interception.
Newest Washington Commanders’ star Deebo Samuel breaks silence on weight issues – Darius Hayes, SI.com
The Deebo Samuel trade has brought up conditioning issues.
Washington Commanders wide receiver Deebo Samuel has responded to concerns about his weight, which have followed him throughout his career.
The Commanders’ newest offensive weapon faced speculation that he entered the 2024 season nearly 20 pounds overweight, an issue that had been on the 49ers’ radar since he arrived in the NFL.
Matt Barrows of The Athletic noted that Washington had also been aware of the challenges tied to Samuel’s conditioning.
“I’m not going to say the number, but I asked what was Deebo’s high point weight-wise last season, and it meshes with what you said a couple of weeks ago. It got really high, and there may have been reasons for that—not able to work out because of pneumonia, not able to work out because of injuries. But that’s a concern. I think the 49ers had that concern the minute he showed up in Santa Clara in 2019, and it never fully went away.”
Samuel, never one to stay silent on criticism, took to social media to clarify the issue. He revealed his weight reached 225 pounds last season, attributing the increase to a battle with pneumonia and injuries that limited his ability to train.
“225 to be exact… Can’t wait till this season start. Fresh start new Bo.”
Matthew Stafford Rejected Lucrative Offer From Giants, NFL Host Says – Karl Rasmussen, Sports Illustrated
It seems New York still made a valiant push to land Stafford, but lost the bidding war.
The Matthew Stafford sweepstakes came to an end over the weekend when the veteran quarterback agreed to a new deal to remain with the Los Angeles Rams.
Various teams had expressed interest in trading for Stafford and subsequently signing him to a new contract, but ultimately he opted to remain in L.A. Among the teams that were in pursuit of the 37-year-old were the New York Giants, who are in the market for a quarterback after parting ways with Daniel Jones last year.
While they missed out on Stafford, it wasn’t for lack of trying. According to NFL Network host Rich Eisen, the Giants not only matched the Rams’ trade demands for Stafford, they also offered him a more lucrative contract than the deal he signed with Los Angeles. Despite that, Stafford chose to return to the Rams.
“I heard the Giants and Raiders’ interest in Matthew Stafford was quite real, and it was hairy at certain junctures last week. And I heard the Giants hit the number… and they hit the trade comp, too. They were in,” said Eisen on The Rich Eisen Show. “The Giants even hired [Stafford’s] brother in law, Chad Hall, on the coaching staff. And so, they really made a run.”
“I think at the end of the day, the Staffords like looking at the sun setting over the Pacific Ocean, and it’s, when it all comes down to it, it’s the best spot for him [to win],” said Eisen.
Precisely what New York was willing to part with in order to land Stafford remains unclear, but Eisen indicates that they met the Rams’ asking price and also offered the veteran quarterback a hefty contract, though they still came up short.
