The Philadelphia Eagles made a big move in the 2020 free agency window by acquiring star cornerback Darius Slay from the Detroit Lions for a third-round pick (No. 85 overall) and a fifth-round pick (No. 166) in the trade, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.
Here are the details of Slay’s contract with the Eagles, as well as a quick breakdown of his stats from the 2019 season.
Slay’s New Contract Extension: Three Years, $50 million
As part of the extension, Slay will receive $30 million guaranteed, and the extension itself has an annual average value of $16.67 million.
That means Slay will become the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL, ahead of the Miami Dolphins’ Byron Jones (who is on a five-year, $82.5 million deal, with an annual average of $16.5 million).
Why Slay’s Arrival Is So Important for the Eagles
The Eagles’ defense gave up 15 pass plays of 40-plus yards in 2019 – tied for the second-most in the NFL – so this is an area they desperately needed to improve.
Slay won’t fix the unit by himself, but his recent play shows the Eagles are getting a star who will make a huge difference in the backfield.
Slay is a three-time Pro Bowler, and has recorded 149 tackles, 13 interceptions, 56 passes defended and one touchdown in the last three seasons.
At 29, the Eagles will likely be getting Slay in the prime years of his career as they look to improve a defense that ranked 15th overall last season.