Detroit Lions trading Darius Slay to Eagles

The writing was on the wall when the Detroit Lions signed Desmond Trufant in free agency, but now it’s actually happening. According to Ian Rapoport, the Detroit Lions are trading three-time Pro Bowl cornerback Darius Slay to the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles are also handing him a deal to put him among the highest-paid cornerbacks.

Per Adam Schefter, the Lions are getting a third and fifth-round pick in 2020.

There’s no other way to put it, Darius Slay has been one of the best Detroit Lions players over the past decade. A former second-round pick, Slay slowly but steadily earned a reputation as one of the best shutdown cornerbacks in the league. His Lions career was highlighted by a 2017 season that saw Slay tally eight interceptions and a whopping 26 passes defended, which led to him being named first-team All Pro that year.

But it was clear Slay’s time was nearing an end during the 2019 season. He sought an extension before the season, but the Lions never budged. He was right in the middle of trade rumors near the deadline, but the team didn’t find a match.

Then, this offseason, Slay made it very clear he wanted an extension worth at least $16-17 million per year, and the Lions made no indication they were willing to fork it over with a year still remaining on his previous contract. They even admitted they were seeking trade possibilities as recently as the NFL Combine, something this organization rarely talks so openly about.

And thus ends the Darius Slay era in Detroit. He’ll head to Philly with 19 career interceptions, 104 passes defended, three Pro Bowls, and a ton of awesome memories from his time in Detroit.

Thanks for the seven years, Big Play.

UPDATE: Here’s the deal Slay is getting with the Eagles, averaging $16.7 million per year:

UPDATE 2: Per Dave Birkett the Lions are getting the Eagles’ higher third-round pick, 85th overall.