Eagles CBs: Darius Slay, Father Time, & The Greedy Williams Domino
PHILADELPHIA – The move to sign an experienced cornerback Greedy Williams looked like a good one for the Philadelphia Eagles when it happened shortly after the free-agent market opened in the middle of March.
Still just 25, the former second-round draft pick of the Cleveland Browns had his share of injuries, but the Eagles didn’t expect him to be much more than a reserve behind Darius Slay and James Bradberry. Maybe he would even play well enough to give Slay a breather from time to time once the regular season began, especially early in the schedule.
It’s no secret that Slay seemed to wear down as the season went on last year. The veteran who made the Pro Bowl in each of the last two seasons even admitted in a locker room interview around Week 12 that it was a long season.
Certainly, a breather on occasion wouldn’t have been a bad thing.
Williams proved that he wasn’t the one capable of doing it. He never stood out. Not once in 12 open training practices or two preseason games. He ran out of chances on Saturday when he was released.
Who is Slay’s breather now, or do the Eagles expect him to play more than 1,000 snaps again this year?
With Williams' release and the injury to Zech McPhearson, which also led to his release on Saturday, though the Eagles hope to bring him back and put him on injured reserve, the cornerback picture has changed quickly, perhaps opening a spot for Mario Goodrich, Mekhi Garner, or Josiah Scott.
Kelee Ringo will make the roster but he would benefit greatly from a red-shirt season. Yet, it was Ringo who relieved Slay during a team drill on Saturday, when it appeared Slay was fatigued.
Maybe now the Eagles only keep five cornerbacks on the final 53-man roster and instead of keeping four safeties, they keep five. At the very least, they will comb the waiver wire once NFL teams begin the cutdown from 90 players to 53 at the end of the month.
Either way, there doesn’t appear to be any in-season rest in the future for Slay. Not yet, anyway.
He played 1,003 snaps last season (91 percent) and another 144 (94 percent) in three playoff games.
That’s a lot for anyone let alone someone who will turn 33 on New Year’s Day.
Make no mistake, though, Slay can still play at a high level. It’s just that 17 games are a lot for anyone.
He isn’t conceding anything to Father Time.
“I can honestly play 10 more years over here, but I know I’m not going to do that, for damn sure,” he said. “I don’t know, man, whenever the time is ready.”
It’s not the wear and tear a game like pro football takes on the body for someone like Slay, it’s the fact that he has kids and family in Houston. He said he is missing his son’s football season there and that he’s really big on being a father figure.
Ed Kracz covers the Philadelphia Eagles for SI's EaglesToday.
Please follow him and our Eagles coverage on Twitter at @kracze.
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