Could Seahawks Pry CB Darius Slay Away from Lions?
Despite entering a crucial Week 7 matchup against the Ravens with a 5-1 record, the Seahawks had a major problem to address in the back half of their defense.
Seattle opened the season with Tedric Thompson starting in place of Earl Thomas, who departed in free agency. With the third-year safety struggling mightily to fill the void and rookie Marquise Blair not quite ready for the main stage, the team dealt a fifth-round pick to the Lions for safety Quandre Diggs prior to the trade deadline on October 20.
Though Diggs didn't make his debut until Week 10 due to a hamstring injury, the trade proved to be an absolute steal and shored up one of the Seahawks biggest holes. The versatile defender immediately bolstered the secondary, intercepting three passes in his first five starts, including a 55-yard pick-six against Jared Goff and the Rams in Week 14.
As Seattle looks to take the next step towards returning to the Super Bowl in 2020, could general manager John Schneider try to pry another talented defensive back in cornerback Darius Slay away from Detroit this offseason?
Though Shaquill Griffin earned his first Pro Bowl selection after a breakout season, the jury is still out on whether or not Tre Flowers is the long-term answer across from him. The converted safety had a solid second season, intercepting three passes and limiting opposing passers to a 72.5 passer rating.
However, Flowers played poorly in both of Seattle's playoff games in January. Facing practice squad receivers in the wild card round in Philadelphia, he committed two critical defensive pass interference penalties to help the Eagles get into the red zone. The next week, Davante Adams scorched him with two touchdown receptions in Green Bay.
There's plenty of evidence to suggest Flowers could make a similar jump to the one Griffin made in 2019, but the Seahawks must take advantage of their title window while it remains open. Russell Wilson isn't getting any younger and if his comments are any indication, there's a sense of urgency to add talent on both sides of the ball.
Entering the offseason with roughly $50 million in cap space and eight projected draft picks, Seattle has the financial flexibility and draft capital to make a splashy move. Reuniting Slay with Diggs in the secondary would be a game-changer for Carroll's defense.
A former First-Team All-Pro selection and three-time Pro Bowler, "Big Play" Slay has been playing at an elite level for several years on bad teams. Widely regarded as one of the best man cover corners in the game, he's amassed 19 interceptions and 104 passes defensed in seven NFL seasons.
Slay's finest season came in 2017, when he led the league with eight interceptions and 26 passes defensed. He's continued to play at a high level in a different scheme under coach Matt Patricia each of the past two seasons.
Considering his talent and a win-or-else mandate from ownership, why would Detroit even entertain the possibility of moving Slay? It's all about the contract.
Slay, who turned 29 in January, will be entering the final year of his four-year, $48.15 million deal signed in 2016. Based on recent tweets, he wants to surpass Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard as the highest-paid player at the position in the NFL, making north of $15 million per season.
If the Lions aren't willing to make such an offer, there's a strong chance Slay will stay away for offseason workouts and training camp until his desires are met.
Such demands may give potential suitors pause, especially considering draft compensation would need to be offloaded to acquire him. But in the case of the Seahawks, they've already proven with the Jadeveon Clowney trade last August that they will trade for potential one-year rentals at the right price to improve the team.
There's no question Slay would be an instant upgrade over Flowers, giving the team a shutdown corner opposite of Griffin with elite ball skills. But it would be a pricey gamble for Schneider, as he would likely have to send at least one of Seattle's two second-round picks to acquire Slay, who carries a $13.4 million cap hit in 2020.
An extension could lower that cap hit for next season, but after turning 30 next year, the Seahawks would owe him substantial money for future seasons. And Griffin will also be negotiating for a new contract. Based on his development, that could be an expensive signing as well.
As ideal of a duo as Griffin and Slay sounds, would it be worth the cost? If the Seahawks get to the Super Bowl next year, absolutely. Tough decisions that would need to be made in the future would be more acceptable with a Lombardi Trophy in hand and an extension could actually enhance the team's chances of winning it all for a few years.
And who knows? Maybe with Diggs already on board, Slay would be okay with playing out the final year of his contract for a contender and a new deal could be discussed next offseason.
On the other hand? If the aggressive move doesn't lead to a title run next year, Seattle could find itself in a precarious situation preparing for the 2021 season. Depending on the course of action, they'll either be trying to navigate around a massive contract for an aging cornerback or they'll be stuck trying to find another replacement to develop in Slay's place.
