Eagles defense could look very different next season as top CB seeks trade

Things can change rapidly in the NFL, and the Philadelphia Eagles might be on the verge of finding that out. 

According to a report from ESPN's Diana Russini, the Eagles have given star cornerback Darius Slay permission to seek a trade as a massive overhaul of the team's defense seems set to begin. 

Along with potentially losing Slay, the Eagles have an extensive list of free agents on defense, including Fletcher Cox, James Bradberry, T.J. Edwards, Ndamukong Suh, Javon Hargrave, Brandon Graham, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Robert Quinn and Linval Joseph. 

That list includes seven of their top 12 players in terms of defensive snaps played, and if Slay ends up getting traded, it would increase the list of potential departures to eight. That is almost an entirely new defense in one offseason. 

The defense finished the 2022 regular season second in yards against and eighth in points allowed, helping lead the team to a Super Bowl appearance, losing to the Kansas City Chiefs. 

Slay, a five-time Pro Bowler, is one of the NFL's top cornerbacks.

The motivation for the Eagles allowing Slay to seek a trade is that he has a $26 million salary cap hit for the 2023 season, which is extremely pricey for a 31-year-old corner no matter how good he is. That cap hit will almost certainly limit his trade value if he is able to find a team. 

The good news for the Eagles is that they have two first-round picks -- No. 10 overall as a result of a trade with the New Orleans Saints and their own at No. 30.