Darius Slay’s Dynasty Impact With the Eagles

Johnny Kinsley

The Philadelphia Eagles finally got their guy.

Nevermind addressing the secondary. Eagles fans just wanted the opportunity to acquire a prized corner, and lo and behold, they were able to get that in Lions star corner Darius Slay. He was the fanbase’s main target after the price for Byron Jones was too high (plus that he went to Miami), and it seemed like the first time the Eagles got exactly who they were looking for in the secondary in a while.

It was quite clear that Slay was unhappy about how things were going in Detroit, and after Desmond Trufant signed with the Lions he made it all too obvious on Twitter he wanted to leave. He definitely appreciated the fans, but instants such as the Quandre Diggs trade to Seattle and some interesting comments from head coach Matt Patricia made him want out. With the price of a third and fifth-round pick, plus handing Slay a contract extension, the Eagles were all too eager to take him on.

As far as his 2019 season went, Slay was selected to his third consecutive Pro Bowl, though the lack of help on the defensive line made it tougher for him to cover. The 29-year-old defensive back had 36 solo tackles, two interceptions, and 13 pass disruptions. His 63 fantasy points had him tied for 110th among all defensive backs.

As mentioned, while Slay wasn’t exactly flawless in 2019, no secondary can produce if you have arguably the league’s least productive defensive line. The Lions defense tied for the second-fewest sacks in the league last year with 28 and only produced 70 QB hits, tied for the fifth-lowest mark. Detroit was rarely getting pressure on opposing teams, and that made it all too easy for teams to attack the secondary.

Fortunately for Slay, the Eagles have a much better pass rush to help him and the secondary out. Fletcher Cox is one of the league’s most dominant interior pass rushers, and the addition of nose tackle Javon Hargrave adds more depth to a pass rush that tied for the 13th-most sacks (43) and sixth in QB hits produced (104).

For more on what Slay can do for the Eagles defense, let’s take a look at his tape.

word image 180

word image 74

Before we talk about this clip, let’s keep in mind the receivers Slay will have to face now that he’s a part of the NFC East: Terry McLaurin from the Redskins, Darius Slayton from the Giants, and the recently extended Amari Cooper from the Cowboys, shown in this clip. It’s not the biggest gauntlet of receivers a corner can face (the NFC South takes home that title), but that’s still some murderous thieves to go up against.

Slay already faced each of the three receivers in 2019, it’s just that now he’ll have to face them twice. Cooper was playing injured against Slay in their matchup, but Slay’s performances still featured impressive plays in press coverage, and keep in mind he was also dealing with a hamstring injury himself throughout the season.

That’s a big strength of Slay. He’s one of the better press corners in the league and frequently showcases virtuoso technique at the position. In two games against Cooper, he’s held the talented wideout to four catches and 42 yards.

word image 75

This was one of the more impressive plays from Slay’s 2019 campaign. Cooper uses a jab move inside then pushes off in an attempt to separate on the sideline. But Slay jams him and stays put, as the two push and shove at the catch point in a tug of war battle for the football. On this particular snap, Slay is able to get inside Cooper’s catch radius and swats the ball out of bounds.

word image 181

word image 76

This time, Slay is going up against McLaurin. According to Slay himself, McLaurin was not only the second toughest receiver he went up against all season (behind Keenan Allen), but even mentioned he should’ve scored twice on him (implying the throws targeting him that quarterback Dwayne Haskins missed).

Here, however, Slay is able to get the advantage. McLaurin attempts to use a wipe move, but Slay is again able to stay with him, managing to also turn around in time to swat Haskins’ pass to the ground. It was a hard-fought battle for both players, and the two have also shown mutual respect for one another.

word image 182

word image 77

Slay ended up becoming a major test for another rising star in the league, this time going up against Broncos star wideout and Pro Bowler Courtland Sutton. Statistically, Slay was victorious, holding Sutton to 41 yards receiving, though Denver would end up winning this battle.

Sutton tries to one-up Slay with a hint of hesitance at the start of this go route, but Slay executes this as if he’s running a mirror version of Sutton’s route. This is phenomenal coverage, and though there’s a little separation between the two, it’s not enough to give quarterback Drew Lock an easy throw to make. With safety help over the top, Slay is able to knock this ball to the ground. His efforts getting to this point should be credited, as he never let up against Sutton.

At 29 years of age, Darius Slay isn’t exactly a young corner, but he’s not exactly an old-timer either. He’s exactly the kind of player the Eagles secondary needed; A consistent playmaker against press coverage in an NFC East that contains Amari Cooper, Terry McLaurin, and Darius Slayton. That’s big news when the other corners on the 2019 depth chart included guys like Jalen Mills, Avonte Maddox, and Ronald Darby.

Maybe Slay won’t be the same player he was in his prime years with Detroit, but one thing is for certain: He will be a significant upgrade for an Eagles defense that gives him an improved level of help upfront than the Lions gave him last season. He’s still one of the best corners in football, and though the price to get him was a little steep (including the draft picks and contract extension), I feel that it’ll be worth it to the Eagles and for your dynasty teams.

Among where you’d normally pick up corners in IDP leagues, I’d wait a little bit before getting Slay, but I expect more productivity out of him with a more talented defense.

johnny kinsley