The Eagles had one big job this offseason: acquire a star cornerback to help salvage their defense.
Now, they have found one via trade. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Philadelphia Eagles have struck a deal with the Lions to acquire 29-year-old cornerback Darius Slay.
Eagles are trading a third- and fifth-round pick in 2020 draft to Detroit for Darius Slay, per source. https://t.co/o2LPCtHK0M
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 19, 2020
Slay is expected to sign a new three-year, $50 million deal with the Eagles once the trade is completed.
The deal after the deal: the Eagles and new CB Darius Slay reached agreement on a 3-year, $50 million extension that includes $30 million guaranteed, @RosenhausSports tells ESPN.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 19, 2020
Slay, a career-long member of the Detroit Lions, has been vocal about his desire to leave the organization. Since he was drafted in the second round in 2013, the Lions have made the playoffs twice and both were via the Wild Card round.
Since 2013, Detroit has only had three winning seasons and only one season north of 10 wins.
The Eagles are an extremely desirable landing spot for Darius Slay. A team loaded with die-hard fans and a championship-hungry front office, they also have a great core moving forward, which bodes well for the incoming Slay.
As a consensus top-10 corner in the league, Slay probably was on the Eagles’ radar, but not as much as some others. They missed out on Chris Harris (Chargers), Byron Jones, (Dolphins), Kendall Fuller (Redskins), and Bradley Roby (re-signed with the Texans).
With all of those dominos falling, the Eagles were left with few options. So with Detroit hearing it from Slay, the Eagles pounced on the opportunity to snag the three-time Pro Bowler and one-time All-Pro cornerback.