There weren't many happy campers in Philadelphia when the Eagles fan base found out they had a shot at acquiring cornerback Darius Slay and were blocked by the Buffalo Bills.
Late in the season, the Pittsburgh Steelers released Slay from the roster, and he was claimed off waivers by the Bills. Even with all the reports and Slay himself saying he wanted to play for the Eagles, Buffalo still kept him on the roster for the rest of the season without playing him.
During a fiery press conference for the Bills after the stunning firing of head coach Sean McDermott, reporters asked Bills general manager Brandon Beane about the Slay situation and why it was handled the way it was. Eagles fans did not take well to what Beane said.
"When we claimed Darius Slay we had no idea that he had the intent to only play for one team. The way the rules work, I would’ve loved when I found that out, to push him back and say ‘Alright, we were not aware of that, give us Ja’Marcus back,’ so that we don’t lose both, but that’s not how the rules work," Beane explained via Buffalo Bills On SI.
Eagles fans are not buying into Bills' excuses for Slay
Beane was all caught up in the question, as it was more about finding a replacement at cornerback. He never really went into detail about why he kept Slay on the roster, despite knowing the veteran corner wanted to play for an NFC team.
The explanation makes zero sense, and Eagles fans know exactly why Beane and the Bills did it. Philly was set to play Buffalo in Week 17, and giving up Slay to go play for the Eagles was a competitive advantage. Everyone knew what was happening the moment it came up, but it turned out to be good karma for the Eagles, who still beat the Bills 13-12 despite the "competitive advantage" it brought.
Slay is beloved in Philadelphia after spending five years with the organization, helping them make the Super Bowl twice and winning one. He made three Pro Bowls with the Eagles before being released last offseason after the emergence of then-rookies Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean. Slay would go on to sign with the Steelers, and the Eagles replaced him with Adoree' Jackson.
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Eagles fans are left wondering what could have been with Slay and how he could have helped the team late in the season with CB2 issues with Jackson. Beane and the Bills made sure Eagles fans will never find out, but Philly won't forget what they did.