Free Agency Update: Fletcher Cox Signed, Darius Slay To Stay

The NFL’s Free Agency Period officially opened at 4 PM on March 15, and the Eagles made two moves to kickstart the official signing period.

Slated to be a free agent this season, DT Fletcher Cox signed a one-year, $10 million deal to stay with the team. Cox, one of the three longest tenured players on the Eagles and the last remaining player drafted during the Andy Reid era, has been less of an inside threat and has been less effective in stopping the run in recent years, but the 32-year-old netted a combined 43 tackles, seven sacks for 50.5 yards, and seven tackles for loss during the 2022-23 regular season, up from his performance during 2021.

The news of Cox’s signing was coupled with further news that CB Darius Slay, who earlier in the day was slated to be released as of June 1, will now likely remain with the Eagles. Slay and his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, came back to the table after the news broke yesterday that the team was planning to part ways with Slay and the two sides worked out a deal. Terms of the deal remain unclear at press time.

With these moves, the next focus for the Eagles on defense is safety CJ Gardner-Johnson. Johnson is a standout contributor to the Eagles, with a combined 67 tackles over the regular season including 5 tackles for losses and a whopping six interceptions during the regular season.