The Philadelphia Eagles asked themselves a philosophical question this offseason. Would it be better to bring back veteran Darius Slay to suit up next to Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean, or should they lean on the younger Adoree' Jackson and developing Kelee Ringo?
So far, it appears as though both choices would have worked out terribly for the Eagles. Both Jackson and Ringo have been toasted to regularly that even Vic Fangio's scheme can't hide them, and Slay has been so bad with the Pittsburgh Steelers that they don't even want him around.
With Asante Samuel Jr. now fully healthy and the former Detroit Lions Pro Bowl defensive back, the Steelers and Slay are mutually agreeing to part ways. Slay still wants to play, preferably with a contending team, and the Eagles would certainly fit the bill for a veteran like him.
However, the Eagles need to look past the idea of bringing back an old friend because of his past exploits, as he has proven to be only a modest upgrade over some of the players Philly has been rolling out there.
Eagles need to stay away from reuniting from Darius Slay
Jackson ranks 105th in the league out of 110 cornerbacks in the eyes of Pro Football Focus, while Ringo was only marginally better at 81st. In Pittsburgh, Slay left the Eagles and reached the very lofty heights of...71st overall. Those numbers came in a Mike Tomlin defense next to Jalen Ramsey.
Slay has clearly lost a step with regard to his speed, which was always one of his best traits as a Lion and Eagle. Father Time remains undefeated, especially when it comes to defensive backs, and Slay's poor performance from Week 1 to now shows that he is not the player he once was.
The Eagles may need to give up hope that a big-fish free agent will shake loose on the free-agent market and meaningfully change how they play defense if such a veteran makes his way to Philly. Fangio may need to grit his teeth and bear it with an undermanned secondary in the postseason push.
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Slay has had a terrific career that may not get him into Canton, but should make him an immediate "Hall of Very Good" first ballot member who helped contribute to some legendary Eagles teams. Those days, as Pittsburgh has proven, are unfortunately in the past.