Tag: Darius Slay

Report: It was Lions who reached out to Broncos about Darius Slay in 2019

The Lions reached out to the Broncos last season to find out if they were interested in trading for cornerback Darius Slay.

The Broncos had trade talks with the Lions about cornerback Darius Slay before the NFL trade deadline last year but Denver wasn’t the team that initiated the conversation.

Detroit reached out to the Broncos to gauge if Denver would have any interest in potentially trading for Slay, according to KUSA-TV’s Mike Klis. Broncos general manager John Elway must have had some interest because the team was willing to swap cornerback Chris Harris in a potential deal with the Lions.

Detroit also wanted a high draft pick, though, and Elway opted not to make the trade. Now that Slay is on the trade block again, will Denver take another look?

It’s possible but seems unlikely.

The fact that the Broncos weren’t the team that initiated trade talks last year seems to indicate that Slay wasn’t a must-have target for them. His price tag (a high draft pick and around $15 million a year) also hurts the chances of a potential trade.

Denver could keep its draft pick and sign one of the top cornerbacks in this year’s free agent class, such as Byron Jones. The team could also just give Harris an extension — or give Harris an extension and sign Jones.

In short, the team has plenty of options and giving up draft capital for a 29-year-old cornerback doesn’t seem to be the top choice.

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Darius Slay would be costly add for Giants

The Detroit Lions are open to trading CB Darius Slay, but the potential cost may leave the New York Giants on the outside looking in.

The Detroit Lions are the only NFC team that has never appeared in the Super Bowl. They want to change that and this offseason, and general manager Bob Quinn is ready to wheel and deal to make that finally happen.

One of the players Quinn will be fielding calls on is Pro Bowl cornerback Darius Slay, and the New York Giants are in the market for a veteran at that position.

With approximately $61 million in cap space (and likely more should they cut some veterans in the next few weeks), the Giants should be in on every available player and some that are not.

A deal for Slay is going to be costly. He would first have to be obtained via a trade and then signed to a deal worth top dollar which could eliminate the Giants, who are still in rebuilding mode.

From Rotoworld:

Detroit previously shopped Slay during October’s trade deadline but was on record of seeking compensation similar to what the Rams gave up for CB Jalen Ramsey (two first-round picks and a subsequent fourth). The 29-year-old All-Pro has since made his contract demands known, looking to reset the market and eclipse Xavien Howard’s position-high $15.1 million annually in 2020. The Eagles and Broncos were both in on Slay at the deadline despite Detroit’s outlandish request, making it more than feasible a deal is eventually completed if either agree to Slay’s raise upon landing him. Look for the Lions to address that position with the No. 3 overall pick in April’s draft.

The Giants are chock full of young defensive backs and need a leader, a veteran, out there to bring all the talent together. Slay is a guy who can do that, but the cost seems a bit too high.

Slay is the type of player that a team one or two players away from the Super bowl would add. The Giants are about 10-12 players away from the Super Bowl. They should save their resources and keep building through the draft.

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Should Redskins look into a Darius Slay trade?

The Lions CB might be available.

It’s been one of the NFL’s worst-kept secrets for the better part of a year that the Detroit Lions and star cornerback Darius Slay will go different ways.

Should the Washington Redskins swoop in and make a trade?

Slay is reportedly available and is a 29-year-old star who has a cap hit of $13.4 million this year. The big hurdle with a deal, besides compensation to get him to town, would be giving him a new contract.

But the Redskins aren’t terribly hurting for cap, especially after getting rid of Josh Norman’s big contract. The front office hasn’t been afraid to pay up or make splashes, either.

With Norman gone and Quinton Dunbar’s future with the team up in the air, things are notable worse than just a few weeks ago at the cornerback position.

At the least, it sure seems like something the Redskins should at least sniff around, provided Ron Rivera views Slay as a cultural fit and the brass project him to have a handful of elite years left.

Washington has stressed getting younger lately and Slay wouldn’t 100 percent fit that. But sometimes interesting opportunities worth exploring pop up and Slay seems to classify as one.

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Should the Jets trade for Lions CB Darius Slay?

Joe Douglas would have to give up too much in a trade and too much at the negotiation table to warrant going after Lions CB Darius Slay.

The Jets need to fix their secondary, and one of the best cornerbacks in the league is on the trade block.

The Lions have talked to “multiple teams” about trading cornerback Darius Slay, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Slay, coming off his third consecutive Pro Bowl, has been looking for a new contract since the beginning of the 2019 season. Now he may finally get his wish as the Lions begin to shop him.

Despite his skill, the Jets shouldn’t be looking to trade for Slay. It would be a mistake for general manager Joe Douglas to give up draft capital and sign Slay to a big extension considering his age and the other holes on the roster.

For one, the Jets can’t afford to part with any picks and don’t have many players worth trading. They have eight picks in the 2020 draft, and it’ll likely take at least their fifth-round pick (No. 141 overall) to acquire Slay. The Ravens gave up a fifth-round pick and linebacker Kenny Young for cornerback Marcus Peters in 2019, so the Jets would be looking at that price as a starting point in any talks with Lions.

Considering Slay is two years older than Peters and coming off a down season, there’s a chance the Jets could get a good deal for him, which might not be a bad move. But the problem isn’t so much the trade for Slay as the contract he would command once he joined the Jets. 

Slay wants to become the highest-paid cornerback in the league and insinuated as much on Twitter this month. Right now, that title belongs to Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard, who has $15.05 million yearly average salary. Slay will count $13,368,750 against the cap, which puts him slightly above ninth, ahead of Stephon Gilmore. While Slay wants at least $15 million a year, Spotrac values him just under that number – $14.9 million – with a four-year, $59,735,712 deal. That contract is doable, but it’s still a lot of money to give an aging cornerback, even for one of the best in the league.

Slay is still the epitome of a consistent shutdown corner even after turning 29 in January. Slay made the Pro Bowl for his third consecutive season after he allowed a completion rate of only 58.3 percent and a passer rating of 86.9 when targeted, according to Pro Football Focus. Slay can still run step-for-step with the best cornerbacks; he was only burned on 3.4 percent of his assignments and had an average target separation of 1.07 yards. However, he did see his fewest interceptions and pass breakups since 2016 and his age could easily catch up to him, much like Darrelle Revis when he rejoined the Jets in 2015.

Would a player of Slay’s caliber make the Jets secondary better? Theoretically, yes. But the Jets have been down this road before. They signed a 28-year-old Trumaine Johnson to an exorbitant five-year, $72.5 million contract with $45 million in guaranteed money in 2018 and are already looking at releasing him just two years into that deal. Douglas cannot afford to make the same mistake again and give up draft and roster capital in the process for the opportunity to spend more money. 

Younger players like Tre’Davious White and Byron Jones will likely set or reset the cornerback contract market this offseason, and both are much younger than Slay. It would be less risky to try and sign a player like Jones for big money or look at cheaper options in free agency like James Bradberry or Jalen Mills. Both are veteran players who wouldn’t command a salary like Jones or Slay and would give Douglas the cap flexibility to shore up other positions of the need. The Jets would be better served going down that route, grabbing talented draft prospects with their eight picks and possibly even re-signing slot cornerback Brian Poole.

Slay is a great cornerback and deserves to be paid like one. The Jets shouldn’t be the team to sign that check, though.

Would a trade for Darius Slay make sense for the Colts?

Should the Colts trade for Darius Slay?

As the offseason gets underway, there is expected to be plenty of action. Though the Indianapolis Colts aren’t one for big moves, a talented player at a position of need has become available in the form of veteran cornerback Darius Slay.

This move would come in the form of a trade as the Detriot Lions are looking to get Slay’s contract off the books in the final year of his contract. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported the new team would take on Slay’s financial responsibilities while also constructing a future deal for the 29-year-old.

The Colts have the resources to pull this trade off. They have three picks in the top-50 (Nos. 13, 34 and 44) and boatloads of salary cap space to make the contract feasible.

Slay has been a strong-to-elite boundary cornerback over the last few seasons. He was an All-Pro in 2017 when led the NFL in interceptions and while he hasn’t played to those standards since then, he has still been an above-average cornerback. That’s something the Colts could use.

Now, we know this trade is unlikely to happen for the Colts. General manager Chris Ballard doesn’t like to give away draft picks and even though Slay could solidify a starting position at an area of need for roughly two or three more years, Ballard also doesn’t like to dish out huge contracts.

The latter becomes even more true when considering Slay didn’t come up through the locker room the Colts currently have. That’s not to say Slay wouldn’t be a good fit in the locker room, but it’s more of a testament to how Ballard views big contracts.

Though it isn’t clear exactly what the Colts would have to give up, it would likely come in the form of a draft pick and potentially another player. Giving up the Nos. 13 or 34 picks in the draft are simply too high in value. But the No. 44 would might be able to work in addition to another piece.

Ballard wouldn’t give up two draft picks for Slay but maybe another piece like Pierre Desir could be part of it, as proposed by Zach Hicks of Stampede Blue.

Maybe the Colts could entice the Lions with a younger player instead like Quincy Wilson, whose time with the Colts is seemingly coming to an end.

The Colts are talented enough roster-wise to compete even without Slay but adding him to the defense would make the unit incredibly stronger. It would also allow the Colts to focus elsewhere in the draft while possibly picking up a high-upside cornerback later.

The compensation and subsequent contract after 2020 is likely going to keep the Colts from making a deal.

But the Colts would be able to make a deal without giving up a whole lot right away while also getting an above-average cornerback for the next few years.

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What would it take to trade for Lions cornerback Darius Slay?

The Lions are listening to trade offers for Pro Bowl cornerback Darius Slay. What would it take to get a deal done?

The Broncos tried to trade for Lions cornerback Darius Slay last season and he’s now on the trade block again so it’s fair to wonder if Denver will reach out to Detroit to try to get a deal done this spring.

The Lions’ asking price — and Slay’s contract demands — might prove to be too expensive for Broncos general manager John Elway.

Ryan O’Halloran of The Denver Post reported Monday that a league executive told him it would likely take a second- or third-round draft pick and a $15 million per year contract to land Slay in a trade.

Slay is an excellent cornerback — he has made the Pro Bowl in each of the last three seasons — but that’s a big price for a 29-year-old defender. Denver could keep its draft selections and give a contract extension to Chris Harris instead.

Harris will turn 31 years old in June but he can still play at a high level. Is it worth trading an early-round pick for a cornerback just two years young? While Elway ponders that question, we want to know your thoughts! Should the Broncos try to get a deal done? Vote in our poll below!

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Darius Slay and the trickery of reporting trade talks

Darius Slay and the trickery of reporting trade talks, with an anecdote that highlights the importance of language usage in reports

The No. 1 trend on my Twitter feed right now (it’s 3:42 p.m. ET on President’s Day) is “Lions have spoken to multiple teams about trading” Darius Slay, based on the report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Monday stating the same basic story.

“The Lions have spoken to multiple teams” is a very carefully worded phrase. That’s deliberate. It conveys what is almost certainly true despite not having on-the-record confirmation; there is no reason to doubt that the Detroit Lions have talked to other NFL teams about the possibility of trading the Pro Bowl cornerback. Of course they have! To not at least talk to other teams would be negligent.

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It’s the nature of the talks that don’t get clarity in the very specific language chosen by Schefter and/or the source(s) who gave him the info. And that is not an accident, something I can attest to firsthand.

Going back to the Senior Bowl in Mobile in 2008 (my first year there), I had a personal experience that exemplifies the trickery of word usage. Back then, it was before Reese’s became a title sponsor, when there were still bushes surrounding the field at Ladd-Peebles Stadium and when all credentialed media had open access to everything during practices. That includes sitting in the stands with NFL coaches and GMs, something that doesn’t happen anymore — not even for high-profile NFL reporters like Schefter.

One day in a sunny AM practice session, I was seated three rows behind New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick. He was by himself, two or three rows up from the various Patriots coaches and scouts. Along came New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton, and why semantics and journalistic judgment are important.

Payton somewhat startled Belichick with his greeting. It made me double-take too, as it did to the Washington Redskins scout I was seated with.

“What would it take to get that Brady guy off your hands,” Payton opened with as they made eye contact. Payton was quite obviously joking, and Belichick quite obviously knew he was joking too. We were witnessing a clear inside joke, an icebreaker and nothing more. They laughed as Payton sat down for a couple of minutes before he got up. While I wasn’t privy to their breaths, it did not appear the two said anything else to one another beyond “good luck” as Payton parted.

I could have credibly reported, “Saints and Patriots engage in trade talks over Tom Brady”. Technically I would have been correct, even though it was plainly misconstruing and misrepresenting what happened. It would have been hooey, and everyone would have instantly known it. But by the letter of the language, it would have been “true”. My editor at the time didn’t want the sensationalism and wisely protected me from myself and did not publish it in my daily practice summary.

The point of this anecdote, one I’ve used before on several different radio shows, is to make you aware of the use of language and how it can manipulate facts. I’m not saying whatsoever that Schefter is purposely misleading here, not at all. I am saying to be careful and not read too much into the deliberate, nonspecific language in the reports you read. That’s where facts get twisted.

Could the Saints be in the Darius Slay sweepstakes?

The New Orleans Saints need to improve, and Detroit Lions cornerback Darius Slay boasts an impressive resume as a three-time Pro Bowler.

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This year’s NFL offseason promises to be as busy as ever, and rumors are already swirling about which players could be on the move. While the bulk of changes will come through free agency, there could be an active market as teams seek of offload veteran in trades, acquiring draft picks in the process. Those are conversations in which the New Orleans Saints should be paying rapt attention.

One name that is drawing attention is Darius Slay, the Detroit Lions cornerback who reached his third Pro Bowl in as many years in 2019. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that multiple teams have inquired about trading for Slay, and other franchises believe there’s a real chance he plays elsewhere in 2020. Trading the best player on the team would very on-brand for Lions coach Matt Patricia, who has thoroughly run Detroit into the ground with a 9-22-1 record after his first two years on the job (for context, Dave Caldwell finished with fewer than nine wins just once in the previous four years).

Slay, 29, led the league in interceptions (8) back in 2017 and now wants a new contract with one year left on his deal. He’s slated to earn a base salary of $10 million in 2020 with a salary cap hit of $13,368,750. That would be tough for the Saints to maneuver, but it’s possible they could cut late-year addition Janoris Jenkins to help do so, freeing up $11.25 million in the process.

But would acquiring Slay be worth it when the Saints already have a one-two punch at the position between Jenkins and Marshon Lattimore? They’ve already gotten a look at Jenkins in their system, which produced impressive results late in the 2019 season. The easier move would be to extend Jenkins and lessen his salary cap hit, which makes sense with Lattimore’s own payday on the horizon.

Alternatively: Slay is several years younger than Jenkins, and would theoretically have more to offer the Saints on a multi-year contract extension until Lattimore’s own deal is due in 2022 (assuming his fifth-year option for 2021 is picked up, which it should be). The math is a little fuzzy, but it’s more feasible than some of the more-outlandish suggestions you’ll see out there.

But what would it take to trade for Slay? The Lions probably want a first-round pick in return for him, but that’s not happening when he’ll be expecting a $15 million per-year salary from his new team. Maybe the Saints could pick him up by giving up next year’s second rounder and swapping third-round picks in 2020. If they can recoup a second-round selection for third-string quarterback Taysom Hill, it could end up being a valuable bargaining chip for trade talks surrounding Slay.

And we can’t rule it out altogether. Saints coach Sean Payton has doggedly pursued better options at cornerback in recent years, though some of the additions didn’t quite live up to the billing (like Brandon Browner, who was bad, and Patrick Robinson, who hasn’t bounced back well after a 2018 injury). Both Jenkins and Eli Apple were just recently acquired. That doesn’t even get into the numerous swings and misses at players like Josh Norman and Malcolm Butler.

The Saints would need to get creative to make it work, but there’s a possible scenario where Lattimore, Slay, and even Jenkins (on a lesser salary, and lining up in the slot) share the field in 2020. Whether the Saints will decide pursuing it is the best use of their resources is anyone’s guess.

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Eagles can solve their CB problem by prying Darius Slay away from the Lions and signing him to a long-term deal

Eagles can solve the CB problem by acquiring Darius Slay from the Lions

The Philadelphia Eagles have a bevy of different positions to address this offseason, but the one consensus among experts and analysts is that changes need to come in the secondary, and in a huge way.

Both starting corners from the 2019 season, Jalen Mills and Ronald Darby are free agents, and although Mills could still return, the Eagles need an upgrade at the position.

Cowboys’ Byron Jones and the Broncos’ Chris Harris Jr. are among the top projected free-agent corners, but Howie Roseman could circle back to a player that he’s pursued for the past two years.

According to Adam Schefter, Detroit Lions star cornerback Darius Slay can be had for the right compensation.

Slay has been seething mad about the organization’s decision to trade team captain Quandre Diggs to the Seattle Seahawks and it sounds like both parties are looking for a fresh start.

Recently, ESPN’s Mike Clay suggested Slay to the Eagles in a deal that would send fourth-year cornerback Sidney Jones and a third-round pick to the Lions in exchange.

Slay wants out badly and the Eagles need him even worse.

Slay is a Pro-Bowler and All-Pro caliber cornerback who had only allowed 15 completions on 27 targets for just 189 yards and one touchdown through November and is still one of the best in the game at his position.

Slay leads NFL with 82 passes broken up since 2015 and is one of just 2 cornerbacks named to 3 straight Pro Bowls (Jalen Ramsey). Adding Slay to the Eagles secondary could finally allow players like Jalen Mills if re-signed, Avonte Maddox, Cre’Von LeBlanc and Rasul Douglas to flourish, without the pressure of assuming a shutdown role.

Slay is currently in the top-15 highest-paid cornerback in the NFL according to Over The Cap, and he’d come at a decent rate, of $10 million per season.

Slay is set to hit free agency following the 2020 season, and the Eagles could lock him up long term with the talented cornerback still only 29 years old.

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Schefter: Darius Slay trade must include new contract for the Pro Bowl CB

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports any Darius Slay trade must include a new contract for the Pro Bowl Lions CB

ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter brought some national cognizance to what those of us in the Lions media have known and reported for several weeks now: Pro Bowl cornerback Darius Slay could be traded this offseason.

There is something new and quite noteworthy in Schefter’s tweeted report. He states that the team acquiring Slay will need to compensate him with a new contract as implied terms of trading for him. That is significant on a couple of levels.

First, it takes away the risk from a team trading for Slay that he’s just a one-year rental. Slay’s contract is up at the end of the 2020 season and he eagerly seeks more money. That’s why the Lions would have interest in trading him — they know what he wants and don’t intend to give it to him, so they would get something in return.

Slay’s camp mandating that a new deal by the new team is part of the trade actually helps the Lions. They can boldly ask for more in return because the new team has insurance that Slay will be there longterm.

Secondly, the more public acknowledgment of the Lions actively listening to calls (again, this is not anything new or profound) ramps up any potential market. If a team really covets Slay and is willing to meet his lofty contract demands, the pressure to get it done before anyone else does just escalated. That helps the Lions maximize the return on any trade involving Slay.

We still don’t know if Slay will be traded or not. We still don’t know what the exact desired compensation is for either Slay’s contract demands or the Lions’ trade demands. We just know now that the rest of the NFL world is more acutely aware of the possibility that Slay will not be in Detroit in 2020 or beyond.

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