Darius Slay has turned his clock back for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2021

Sometimes, what you think you need winds up being the worst thing for you. Sometimes, the best discoveries are made by accident or after some reactionary decision. Think back to 2020’s offseason for this Philadelphia Eagles team. Many were under the impression that the Birds would pursue one of the highly-touted cornerbacks during the free agency period. Byron Jones was there. So was James Bradberry. Somehow, through an interesting turn of events, the Eagles wound up with Darius Slay.

Just like that, though some had their doubts, Eagles vice president/general manager Howie Roseman made one of the better decisions that he’s made in a while.

Most of you remember the story, but here’s a quick recap of the facts. Byron Jones landed with the Miami Dolphins. Bradberry landed with the hated New York Giants. It seemed as though Philly’s chances of landing an elite cornerback were over, but Howie pulled off a trade.

Philadelphia sent a third-round and fifth-round selection in the 2020 NFL Draft to the Detroit Lions to bring Slay into the nest. Shortly thereafter, ‘Big Play Slay’ signed a new three-year deal worth $50 million with $30 million guaranteed.

Year one was plagued by ups and downs. Slay struggled versus the best competition, D.K. Metcalf and Davante Adams for instance. Year two has been a totally different story. CB1, who turns 31 in January, has seemingly turned back the clock, but if you think you have a grasp on how good he’s been, a second glance might reveal that he’s been even better than you think he’s been.

Darius Slay is quietly having a Pro Bowl type season in 2021.

You’ve heard that a picture is worth a thousand words. How much is a good tweet worth? They say people lie, but numbers don’t. Check out some of what Darius Slay has done versus some of the best wide receivers in the NFL during the 2021-2022 season’s first six weeks.

Can we start saying things like ‘Slay Island’, or would that be too corny? Let’s leave it at this. He’s been a bright spot and a silver lining during a season that’s been covered in dark clouds.

Slay wasn’t the man that many had on their radar in 2020, but he wound up being a wise decision. The jury is out on two of Howie’s other personnel moves, Jalen Reagor, who was taken in Round 1 over Justin Jefferson, and Jalen Hurts. Philly surprisingly took him in Round 2.

The Hurts decision wound up being a decent one as the deterioration of Carson Wentz came much sooner than expected. The question now is this. Can he and Reagor turn the corner and be stars in their own right? If they make that happen, the 2020 NFL offseason might wind up being one of the best that Howie has had.