Should the Detroit Lions try to sign Darius Slay?

On Monday, it was reported that the Philadelphia Eagles will be releasing former Detroit Lions second-round pick Darius Slay. While the move isn’t official yet, this was an anticipated transaction from the Eagles due to Slay’s high cap commitment.

Slay is still playing at a high level, but more relevantly, he said he’d prefer to play what he believes will be his final NFL season in one of two places: Philadelphia and Detroit. While a return to the Eagles is reportedly on the table, many have wondered if the cornerback-needy Lions would welcome a reunion.

So today’s Question of the Day is:

Should the Lions attempt to sign Darius Slay?

My answer: First off, let’s acknowledge that it’s pretty cool that Slay wants to come back to Detroit. He was good for the community, good for the football team, and was a well-liked presence in the locker room. Even though he’s 34 years old now, he still brings a lot of those qualities. No doubt, he’d be a helpful presence for both Terrion Arnold and Ennis Rakestraw—two players whose development is critical to the future of the cornerback position in Detroit. He’ll also slide in and be a good culture fit, as someone who cares about the city of Detroit and I’m sure would love to bring a Super Bowl here.

However, I do have some concerns about his schematic fit with the Lions defense. Even with a defensive coordinator change, coach Dan Campbell has made it clear they still want to be a man-coverage heavy team, and that is not exactly Slay’s strong suit at this point in his career. In 2024—arguably one of his best seasons in the last few years—he played man-coverage just 23.7 percent of the time according to PFF. For reference, Arnold played it on 46.9 percent of his snaps. And here are Slay’s man-coverage grades for the last few seasons, per PFF:

2024: 62.2

2023: 35.7

2022: 68.2

Run defense is also not Slay’s strong suit. We know the Lions require their cornerbacks to be a big part of their run fits, and that level of physical play has just never been Slay’s calling card, and it certainly isn’t now as a 12-year veteran.

Still, Slay has been around. He’s played in just about every scheme. Detroit’s style of play may not be Slay’s preference, but it’s not like he’d be a massive liability. Plus, the intangibles he’d provide to that room are undeniable.

So, I’d be open to him returning to Detroit, but it should not come at the expense of adding another starting-level player who can provide some stability to the position beyond just 2025. In other words, if Slay can be had at a reasonable deal that won’t prevent the Lions from re-signing Carlton Davis, I’d be okay with it. But if Slay is their big move at cornerback and expected to start in 2025, that would not be a wise choice.

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