Talk about one heck of a headline. When a player makes his free agency decision, remaining with his current team or signing elsewhere, it’s usually for one of a couple reasons. Money talks, obviously. Sometimes culture and chance to win drives the choice. Or scheme fit and coaching staff. For CB Darius Slay, it was the Eagles’ head of security that prevented him from becoming a Baltimore Raven.
Eagles fans can thank “Big Dom” Dom DiSandro for Slay remaining with the team. As Slay revealed on a recent episode of the Pulp Phiction podcast, Slay had essentially agreed to a deal with the Ravens for DiSandro gave him a call that changed his mind.
“I really committed to the Ravens and was [going] to go,” Slay told hosts Rob Dunphy and Malik Joe. “Then Dom called and said, ‘Slay, I want you here da da da.’ I’m like, ‘you called me, Dom. I’m coming back.'”
Slay signed a two year extension last March, staying with the Philadelphia despite all reporting indicating he would leave the team. It’s not the first time he shared how close he came to signing with Baltimore but it’s the first time he credited DiSandro for staying.
For those not in the know, “Big Dom” went viral in 2023 for his sideline incident with San Francisco 49ers LB Dre Greenlaw. A spat that saw both men get ejected and DiSandro sent upstairs to the booth for the rest of the season.
Even without Slay, the Ravens’ pass defense was a top unit. They ranked top ten in all the key categories this past season, allowing the second-fewest touchdowns while picking off the third-most passes. Still, the team spent a first round pick on Clemson CB Nate Wiggins who will make up an impressive trio that includes star Marlon Humphrey and the underrated Brandon Stephens.
With his return to Philly, Slay had another Pro Bowl 2023 campaign. Starting 12 games, he picked off a pair of passes, broke up 14 others, and notched 57 tackles. He returned one of his interceptions for a touchdown. Now 33, he’s on the backswing of his career but could end up playing it out in Philadelphia instead of Baltimore. All because of Big Dom.
