Replacing Darius Slay: Eagles Have Plenty Of In-House Options

The Eagles plan on releasing cornerback Darius Slay, and if this is truly the last stop for the six-time Pro Bowl cornerback in Philadelphia, the next step is replacing the veteran mentor and his still stellar play on the field.

At 34 and set to turn 35 on New Year’s Day 2026 when the Eagles are projected by most to be getting ready for a fifth consecutive postseason appearance, moving on from Slay conjures up the personnel cliche of it being better to give up on a player a year early than a year too late.

The timing seems right as well because the Eagles have a host of young in-house options waiting in the wings.

Here are the three most likely paths Philadelphia defensive coordinator Vic Fangio and secondary coach Christian Parker will explore to replace a player who was still one of the steadiest outside CBs in the NFL during Year 12.

THROW KELEE RINGO IN THE DEEP END

Ringo will be entering his third season and has quietly developed into one of the best gunners and vice players in the league on special teams.

At 6-foot-2 and 207 pounds with impressive length, physicality and 4.36 speed, Ringo has all the physical traits you could possibly need to excel outside the numbers.

The missing pieces are the kind of savviness that defined Slay and the technique to handle the league’s top receivers. Fangio did not feel Ringo was ready for the CB3 role last season, instead relying on the undersized Isaiah Rodgers, who is set to become a free agent on March 12.

PLAY COOPER DEJEAN OUTSIDE

For those who don’t know, the Eagles' personnel department scouted Cooper DeJean as an outside CB prospect coming out of Iowa last season and believes DeJean can handle that role.

The athleticism and football IQ are there for DeJean to play inside, outside, or in a dual role.

Business could play a part in DeJean’s end game eventually because outside corners get paid more than slot corners in the NFL. Unless the Eagles are willing to go against that grain to keep DeJean in the slot, where he was arguably the best in all of football as a rookie, problems could arise, although they are likely 12 months out.

For now, DeJean figures to play outside when only two CBs are on the field and bounce inside with either Ringo or a re-signed Rodgers rotating in outside the numbers.

RE-SIGN ISAIAH RODGERS AND LET THE BEST MAN WIN

Rodgers did a very nice job in 421 defensive snaps when Slay or Quinyon Mitchell were banged up. At just 5-10 and 176 pounds, the difference between part-time and 1,000-or-more snaps on the outside could be significant.

The projections for Rodgers as a free agent are very manageable due to those size issues and perhaps his prior gambling suspension with Pro Football Focus predicting a one-year deal for $3 million.

Rodgers is loyal to the Eagles for giving him an opportunity when others punted the football, so re-signing him shouldn't be a problem.

As for the competition for Rodgers, you should also add Eli Ricks to Ringo. While Ricks barely played in his second season, Howie Roseman has carried him for two years for a reason. Philadelphia believes the 6-2, 188-pound Alabama product has innate coverage skills and he, like Ringo, has the elite length teams are looking for outside.

OTHER OPTIONS

The Eagles have too many young options already familiar to Fangio to go outside the organization in free agency for anything meaningful. The draft is alo likely off he table until Day 3 at CB.

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