Darius Slay was a cap casualty on Monday. Should the 49ers be interested in the veteran cornerback?
The Philadelphia Eagles released cornerback Darius Slay Monday morning. Slay was designated with a post-June 1 release, saving the Eagles $4.3 million against the salary cap.
During his five-year stint in Philadelphia, Slay was named to three Pro Bowls and was one of the best cornerbacks in the league. After the Super Bowl, he pondered retirement but said he wants to play for one more season.
The San Francisco 49ers will likely have a hole at cornerback after Charvarius Ward walks in free agency. Slay would be a stopgap. He just turned 34 in January. But there wasn’t anything Slay put on tape last year to suggest he still can’t play at a high level in 2025.
Slay only allowed 42.5 percent of his targets to be completed, and when they were, he limited opposing wideouts to 5.4 yards per target. Both of those numbers place Slay in the upper echelon of cornerbacks. He broke up 15 passes on 59 targets, which is also impressive. Slay has been a consistent tackler as a pro. He only missed seven in 2024. Last year, the most yards Slay allowed in a game was 68, most of which came on one play. He had one other game of 50+ receiving yards allowed outside of one game. Eight games of 25 or fewer yards were allowed, and four games of zero yards.
The argument is Slay’s age and potential contract, but a one-year deal for a player likely looking to win another Super Bowl at 34 shouldn’t break the bank. It’s hard to find a reason not to be interested in Slay other than him being a stopgap and needing to find another starting cornerback in a year or two.
Should the 49ers go the veteran route or rely on the NFL Draft to find Mooney’s replacement?