NFL free agency: Fletcher Cox and Darius Slay return? Howie Roseman’s slaying it for the Eagles.

Within two hours of each other, thirty-something divas Aaron Rodgers and Darius Slay acknowledged their impending relocation in the NFL. Rodgers did it, as is his wont, glorifying himself on a profane podcast. Slay did it, as is his wont, on social media.

Rodgers is the best passer in NFL history, and his Green Bay replacement Jordan Love is a spotlighted unknown, so the Packers, like Rodgers did in 2021, find themselves in jeopardy. The Eagles, meanwhile, will be fine. Howie Roseman is making sure of that.

Roseman exited the two days of the legal tampering — the annual start of free agency — having re-signed legends, having retained one star corner, then another, and having added modest talent as he watched modestly talented Eagles get overpaid elsewhere. If he has as good a draft next month as he’s had a free-agency period so far, the Eagles will return to several Super Bowls in the next few seasons.

To be clear: Both Rodgers and Slay, among the biggest names in the news when contracts could be signed Wednesday, chose to position themselves to leave.

The Pack wanted A-Rod back, but he dithered for days in a darkened yurt until the Packers reportedly determined that his non-immunized, 39-year-old carcass better belonged with the Jets.

Slay, entering the final year of his deal, initially declined to accept the modest contract extension the Eagles offered to decrease his crippling salary-cap number, according to a league source. He had been scheduled for release after June 1 before negotiations resumed Wednesday night that will keep Slay in the nest.

Rodgers’ departure will mean a record $40.3 million dead-cap hit this year but financial freedom in 2024. Slay’s delayed release would’ve freed about $17.5 million in cap room for the Birds.

Unlike Rodgers, whose bullying prima donna act had grown older than his greying hipster beard, Slay would have been missed in the locker room. Sort of.

Always as shameless a self-promoter as Rodgers had become, Slay rejoiced last season in finally earning a captaincy. It was a job he did well enough. His chest-pounding happened less often and less loudly. He only pointed a finger at a teammate once.

» READ MORE: How third-and-30 against Dallas reset the Eagles secondary en route to Super Bowl LVII

Slay’s captaincy might now be shared with James Bradberry, who, by contrast, pointed the finger at himself after Super Bowl LVII; Slay, the secondary’s alleged leader, declined to speak with the press. Bradberry was a $10 million rental cornerback, the anti-Slay — mature and measured — who bookended with Slay on the league’s top-rated pass defense and, frankly, outplayed him.

Bradberry is 2½ years younger than Slay, and he’s peaking. His coverage grade, according to profootballfocus.com, was 80.2, a career high, and it ranked sixth among corners who took at least 900 snaps. Slay ranked 12th, at 77.4, the fifth-best ranking of his career and, more significantly, a drop of about 8% — an ominous indicator for a 32-year-old player who relies on speed and who reportedly wanted a contract to play two years beyond 2023.

The Eagles always preferred to have both return, but if a choice had to be made for the next three years, then Bradberry, at $38 million, clearly was the better value.

The way Roseman played the Slay situation is the best evidence of how efficient he has been the past three days.

Convincing Super Bowl LII hero Brandon Graham to return for one year and $6 million might have had as much to do with Graham’s attachment to Philadelphia and his new home in Haverford — he is a hopeless family man — but Graham, who will be 35 next month, wasn’t likely to get more than $8 million in guaranteed money wherever he went, despite collecting 11 sacks in 2022.

Jason Kelce also is 35, but his podcasting, SNL-cameoing, smarter-older-brother star has never shined brighter, and his play has never been better, so giving him $250,000 more than his $14 million salary last season was a no-brainer after he decided to not retire (again).

Cox is just 32, even if he’s played like he’s older the last three seasons, and Roseman on Wednesday re-signed him for $10 million, which Cox claims was a hometown discount (eye roll). Whether or not that’s true, Cox is worth every penny of his $4 million pay cut.

Roseman added bruising veteran running back Rashaad Penny for about $2 million and re-signed all-purpose veteran Boston Scott for about the same. These were strokes of competence, if not genius.

The genius lay in what Roseman did not do in the first three days of temptation.

He did not succumb to the temptation of Slay.

Roseman delighted in witnessing 30-year-old good-guy defensive tackle Javon Hargrave fool the 49ers into giving him $84 million after Hargrave lived off the efforts of Haason Reddick, Graham, Josh Sweat, and Cox.

Roseman watched ordinary middle linebacker T.J. Edwards get almost $20 million from the Bears, which damns the transaction on its face. He saw new Cardinals coach and former Eagles coordinator Jonathan Gannon fall in love all over again with linebacker Kyzir White, who signed for two years and $10 million after making an unworthy $5 million with Gannon last season.

He saw stopgap safety Marcus Epps go to Vegas, baby, where snagging one interception in your last 36 games (including playoffs) apparently is worth $12 million for the next two years.

Roseman also wished Andre Dillard well. He will receive $29 million in Tennessee, which is about what Dillard is worth; he’s a viable NFL starter at left tackle and guard, but, after four years as an Eagles backup, there remains no starting spot for him in Philly.

The second wave of free agency is coming. Will combustible safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson re-sign with the Birds? Will Roseman reach the finish line on a mega-deal to extend quarterback Jalen Hurts?

We cannot know. But we know this:

In Howie we trust.

» READ MORE: In Howie We Trust: Eagles enter free agency led by Roseman, the NFL’s best GM