How “Big Play” Slay Impacts Eagles D
“I knew that Philly wanted me and was trying to get me last year. I was looking forward to coming. I was pretty excited. It was only a matter of time until it happened. I’m glad it happened. I’m ready.”
The Philadelphia Eagles certainly made a splash this Free Agency when the team traded for Darius “Big Play” Slay. The moniker comes from Slay’s 19 INTs through seven seasons. It has been no secret that the Eagles have coveted the 3x Pro Bowler for quite some time.
Although the Birds did give up assets in the No. 83 and No. 166. overall selections in the 2020 NFL Draft, that is tremendous value given Slay’s track record as a “shutdown” CB.
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The Birds got right to business after obtaining Slay, inking him to a three-year contract extension worth $50 million, with $30 million in the guaranteed gap. Since signing the deal, Slay has now become the highest-paid Cornerback annually at 16.6 million per year.
Slay will have an immediate impact on this Eagles defense.
Slay quickly solidifies himself as the best player in this Eagles secondary. With uncertainty at Safety due to the departure of Malcolm Jenkins, Jalen Mills is expected to fill in his role. Philly-native Will Parks was also brought in from the Denver Broncos on a one-year deal. Slay will make the secondaries’ life easier with his ability to take a No. 1 target out of a game. One less body to worry about. Time after time, Slay has shadowed the opposing teams No. 1 receiver and has never shied away. It has been well documented that Slay is seen as Amari Cooper’s “kryptonite”, which should be music to any Eagles fans ears.
In five career games against the Philadelphia Eagles, Cooper has averaged 98 yards per game on a 64% catch rate alongside 4 TDs. In two games against the newly acquired Slay, Cooper’s numbers drastically dropped to 21 yards per game, a 33% catch rate, accompanied by ZERO TD’s. Louis Riddick of ESPN claims that Slay was up in Cooper’s “grill” the entire time the two faced off in Detroit last year.
In other words, Amari Cooper got “SLAYED.”
Slay has given up only two catches of over 50 yards in over 6,000 career snaps, which should immensely help this Eagles secondary as the unit gave up 11 passing TD’s of over 30 yards last season (Most in the NFL).
The Birds gave up 27 passing TD’s in total, and only intercepted 11 passes (1.9%) in 2019 ranking 23rd in the league. As mentioned before, “Big Play Slay” lives up his nickname with 19 career INT’s, which will hopefully translate to helping the Birds take the ball away. Slay also leads the league in pass breakups since entering in 2013.
As we have seen with the Javon Hargrave signing, the Eagles still value their D-line and continue to focus on the big boys upfront. Howie Roseman invests in building the trenches on both sides of the ball. That is how the team believes they will win. With an effective pass rush, this is where the back-end comes into play. Jim Schwartz loves to pressure the passer with his front four, and being able to leave Slay on an island against the opposing team’s best receiver is a match made in heaven.
With a top target on lock, it will allow more time for the pass rush to get home. The familiarity between Schwartz and Slay also adds significance to the signing. In 2013, Sharwtz drafted Slay during his final season as Lions head coach. Slay is an excellent scheme fit in this system, due to his ability to accelerate in press-man coverage.
Philadelphia has not had a corner of this caliber since the days of Asante Samuel, a topic that has previously been discussed on this blog. Slay will be a cornerstone of Schwartz’s defense for the remainder of his time in midnight green.
Philly finally made a major improvement to their secondary…
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