Philadelphia Eagles receive major boost at cornerback with Darius Slay
By Dan Parzych
The Philadelphia Eagles finally made a big move this offseason by acquiring Darius Slay from the Detroit Lions to improve at cornerback.
With the new NFL season officially in full swing, Philadelphia Eagles fans have been patiently been waiting for the team to make some sort of big move when taking into consideration the NFC East champions have been quiet for the most part.
On Thursday, that big move finally took place when the Eagles acquired Darius Slay from the Detroit Lions in a trade to provide a major upgrade at the position.
Even more exciting, Philadelphia agreed to reward Slay with a hefty extension as part of the deal, making him the league’s highest-paid cornerback at the moment.
The deal after the deal: the Eagles and new CB Darius Slay reached agreement on a 3-year, $50 million extension that includes $30 million guaranteed, @RosenhausSports tells ESPN.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 19, 2020
Right away, some Eagles fans will point out how risky it seems to throw out all this money towards someone who has yet to take a single snap with the team, and made it clear how unhappy he’s been with the Lions, but Slay is worth every penny.
For weeks, there has been plenty of speculation that Detroit would eventually find a trade partner for Slay, and with the cornerback coming off Pro Bowl honors for the third season in a row, this was the kind of move Philadelphia needed this offseason.
Between Ronald Darby struggling to stay healthy along with some of the younger guys such as Sidney Jones being inconsistent, cornerback was easily one of the top needs the Eagles needed to improve on before September arrived a few months from now.
Of course, just because Slay is now part of the picture doesn’t mean Philadelphia should avoid adding another cornerback during April’s draft since there are plenty of great prospects to consider, but at least this move takes a little pressure off the team moving forward.
As for what other moves Philadelphia needs to make before the draft, it’s safe to say that all eyes are on offense to see if anything happens between Alshon Jeffery or DeSean Jackson after the frustrations piled up last season due to injuries.
But even if both veterans stick around to show they still have what it takes to make an impact in the passing game, at least the Eagles addressed their need at cornerback in a big way with this deal to acquire Slay from the Lions.