Darius Slay would look fantastic in Arizona Cardinals red
By Jim Koch
Working out a trade for the Detroit Lions veteran cornerback would do wonders for the defensive unit of the Arizona Cardinals
As the 2020 offseason prepares to heat up, the Arizona Cardinals are chock-full of question marks at the cornerback position. The great Patrick Peterson is fresh off of the worst campaign of his NFL career. Veteran Robert Alford will be returning from a broken fibula, and 2019 rookie Byron Murphy did not perform as well as expected.
There’s an individual currently on the trade block, however, who could help erase any doubts that the Cards may be having about their cover guy situation. According to reports, the Detroit Lions are once again fielding offers for the talented Darius Slay. The three-time Pro Bowler was being dangled last October, but Detroit was unable to consummate a deal for the defender.
The type of compensation that the Lions would want for Slay’s services is unclear at this time. Obviously, Arizona would not be willing to give up this year’s first-round draft pick (8th-overall) for the 29-year old corner. However, their second-round selection (40th-overall) in this April’s draft could certainly be in play for the 6’0, 190 pound Slay.
Slay totaled 46 tackles, two interceptions and 13 passes defensed in 14 starts for Detroit this past fall. The former Mississippi State University product has racked up 347 tackles, 19 picks and a whopping 104 pass breakups in 103 professional appearances (94 starts). Slay has a base salary of $10 million in “20 (the final year of his contract), and will likely command upwards of $15 million per season when he signs his new deal.
Peterson played exceptionally well during the last three games of ’19, and the Cardinals are counting on the 29-year old pick up where he left off this coming fall. It’s been reported that the front office is attempting to work out an extension for the 6’1, 203 pounder. Pairing Peterson with Slay would give the Cards one of the best cornerback combinations in the league.
Acquiring Slay would likely mean the end of Alford’s tenure in Arizona before it even got started. The organization would gain $4.5 million in salary-cap money by releasing the former Atlanta Falcon. Whether Cardinals general manager Steve Keim would be willing to part ways with Alford in order to bring in the highly-coveted Slay remains to be seen.