It was the move everyone knew was coming, but no one really wanted to see happen at this point. Especially after a Super Bowl win the month before.
The Philadelphia Eagles have released Pro Bowl cornerback Darius Slay with a post-June 1 designation that will allow the 34-year-old to negotiate with other teams during the offseason period.
(Eric Hartline-Imagn Images)
Slay openly acknowledged before Super Bowl LIX that it would be his final game with the Eagles. General manager Howie Roseman also stated that the team "would look a lot different" after the win.
And everyone pretty much understands why.
Slay carried a $13 million cap hit this season for the Eagles if they kept him on the roster. The team saves over $4 million this offseason and over $11 million next offseason by moving on from the former Detroit Lions standout.
It's not just the money that pushed Philly to this line of action, though.
Over the last five years, Roseman and the front office have built a young defensive core with plenty of solid depth along the way. Cornerbacks like Isaiah Rodgers and Kelee Ringo were brought in to backup Slay and first-round rookie Quinyon Mitchell. Both have looked the part as potential starters in this league.
In the case of Rodgers, he was a highly-graded corner with the Indianapolis Colts before he was suspended for violating the league's gambling policy.
The Eagles moved on from aging players during the last offseason that included Fletcher Cox, Jason Kelce, and Haason Reddick. They replaced them with younger versions of the stars who played extremely well during their Super Bowl run.
Slay is the next name on that list the team is moving on from.
And much like last year, the youth movement has only continued for Philadelphia.
