Darius Slay has been a Pro Bowler the last three seasons at cornerback for the Detroit Lions. His patented finger wave has been a staple at Ford Field – and really anywhere else Slay's stepped between the lines – for the last seven seasons.
But Slay's time in Detroit has come to an end after the team made official a trade sending him to Philadelphia.
Lions general manager Bob Quinn told local reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine back in February the team was exploring trade options for the veteran corner.
"I think what we're trying to do is explore a trade," Quinn said at the time. "That's not saying we are definitely trading him. We've had some conversations with other teams."
Slay, who was entering into the final year of his contract in Detroit, has been seeking an extension that would make him the highest paid cornerback in the league.
Slay reportedly signed a three-year $50 million extension with the Eagles after being traded.
Losing Slay could have an impact on Detroit's defense. Nobody has defended more passes than him since he entered the league in 2013. He led the NFL in interceptions during a breakout 2017 season and has recorded at least two interceptions in each of his last six seasons.
The Lions have signed veteran cornerback Desmond Trufant in free agency, who will for now slot into Detroit's No. 1 outside cornerback role in place of Slay. Justin Coleman returns in the slot, and last year's fifth-round pick, Amani Oruwariye, showed promise down the stretch last season as a rookie, but Detroit will probably still be on the lookout for another cornerback to add to the mix, either in the remaining weeks of free agency or next month's draft. Ohio State's Jeff Okudah could potentially be in the mix with Detroit's first pick in the draft.
Trufant, 29, recorded a team-high four interceptions for Atlanta last season, despite missing seven games with a shoulder injury. He's started all 97 games he's played in over his career with 79 passes defended and 13 interceptions.
With Slay being traded, plus the additions of Trufant, safety Duron Harmon (via trade with Patriots) and safety Jayron Kearse, who the team also signed recently in free agency, Detroit's secondary will look significantly different in 2020.
Detroit ranked 31st in overall defense and 32nd against the pass last season. They've also signed linebacker Jamie Collins and defensive linemen Nick Williams and Danny Shelton over the first few days of fee agency. The Lions' defense will have a new look next season.
