Trading Darius Slay away would be another Quandre Diggs mistake
The Detroit Lions made a huge mistake trading away Quandre Diggs last season. If they do the same to Darius Slay this offseason, it’ll be their second.
The Detroit Lions should be in the business of keeping great players on their roster. Period. Honestly, there is no reason to read any further.
Well, if you insist. Undoubtedly, cornerback Darius Slay is a great player. Slay has arguably been the Lions best defender since he was drafted in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft out of Mississippi State.
Coming off his third Pro Bowl appearance in a row, and considering the fact he held out of OTAs and minicamp last offseason reportedly in an effort to get a new contract, Slay has now publicly stated he would love to have an extension in Detroit.
Yet, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Lions will consider trading Slay away if a new deal can’t be agreed upon this offseason. And that would be a huge mistake for Detroit. One of many.
Again, the Lions should be in the business of acquiring talent and keeping it. Yet, the duo of general manager Bob Quinn and head coach Matt Patrica were behind the controversial trade of safety Quandre Diggs last season.
In late October, Quinn and Patricia sent Diggs packing along with a seventh-rounder to the Seattle Seahawks for a mere fifth-round selection in 2020. The 27-year old defender proceeded to play like a Pro Bowler recording 21 combined tackles, three pass deflections, three interceptions, and a defensive touchdown in five regular-season games.
Diggs would later tell the media he believed the move was an attempt by the Lions to better control the voices in their locker room. If this is true, Quinn and Patricia clearly chose culture over talent. And instead of trying to find a way to build a bridge between themselves and a talented player, they opted simply to trade him away for pennies on the dollar.
Quinn and Patricia likely believed third-round rookie safety Will Harris was ready to start. He clearly wasn’t. Yet, it’s not the first mistake this duo has made hence the reason their jobs were on the line just two years into their New England Patriots Midwest experiment.
Next. The Detroit Lions 2010s All-Decade team on defense. dark
If the Detroit Lions trade away Darius Slay, it would be a much bigger mistake than allowing Quandre Diggs to leave. The Motor City must be in the business acquiring talent and keeping it. Replacing a three-time Pro Bowl corner with a 2019 fifth-rounder in Amani Oruwariye and a rookie in the upcoming draft will only sink this team even deeper into the NFC North’s basement.