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There hasn’t been much noise around the Lions’ roster this early in the offseason, but earlier this week there was little, albeit vague, information dropped concerning Darius Slay and his quest for a new contract.
The Lions and Pro Bowl corner Darius Slay continue to discuss a long-term contract, but the expectation exists that he could re-enter the trade market if no deal is reached in coming weeks, per source. Both sides have been at this for a while, still no deal for 2021 FA.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) February 3, 2020
While general manager Bob Quinn said the trade talks around Slay were “not very serious at all” in 2019, that doesn’t preclude him from looking to get something back for him if a deal isn’t reached.
Darius Slay has one year left on his four-year, $50+ million extension he signed back in 2016.
His $10 million base salary for 2020 puts him tied for 11th amongst cornerbacks according to Spotrac. His current total cap hit is actually around $2 million less than it was last season for the Lions.
Slay will definitely have suitors whether on the trade market or in free agency next season. The main question becomes how much is someone (including the Lions) willing to pay and for how long?
How much would you pay to extend Darius Slay?
A short, highly-guaranteed deal to keep him around a few more years? Or a long-term deal that could ensure he finishes his career in Detroit? The market value for Slay is around $15.4 million. Do you like those numbers?
If I were playing Lions’ GM for a day, I’d give Slay a three-year $45 million extension with around $30 million guaranteed.
But what do you think? How much would you be willing to give Slay to keep him as a Lion?