Matt Patricia's purge continues as Lions reportedly shop Pro Bowl CB Darius Slay for a trade
Darius Slay is reportedly on the trade block.
And he’s just fine with that.
Halfway through the season, the Detroit Lions traded safety and defensive captain Quandre Diggs to the Seattle Seahawks for a pittance.
Last week, reports surfaced that the Lions were looking to trade quarterback Matthew Stafford. General manager Bob Quinn later called the report false.
Slay on the way out?
Now Slay is reportedly on the block. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Monday that the Lions are looking to trade the three-time Pro Bowl cornerback as he approaches the final year of his contract.
Lions have spoken with multiple teams about a potential trade for Pro Bowl CB Darius Slay, per sources. Any team that trades for Slay would have to compensate Detroit and Slay with a new deal. Other teams believe Slay will be traded this off-season, but Lions adamant on value.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 17, 2020
The report points to a continued purge under Patricia as the Lions have underwhelmed during his two seasons as head coach. That he survived a 3-12-1 campaign in 2019 to coach another season came as more than a mild surprise. With another chance to prove his value, it appears that dramatic overhaul is a big part of the plan.
Slay’s OK with trade talk
The report didn’t bother Slay. Shortly after Schefter’s report, Diggs chimed in with money-bag wishes on Twitter for his former teammate. Slay, 29, didn’t seem disappointed at the prospect of a new deal with a new team.
Yes sir!!!! https://t.co/cbTlsLplII
— Darius Slay (@_bigplayslay23) February 17, 2020
Problems in Patricia’s locker room
The Diggs deal in October was met with backlash in the media and in the Lions locker room. Detroit traded a player who had just been voted captain by his teammates to an NFC rival for a fifth-round pick. They tossed in a seventh-round pick to Seattle for good measure.
Diggs thrived with the Seahawks, recording three interceptions in five games after the trade. Meanwhile, Detroit’s pass defense languished as the worst in the league.
Slay was among the many who chided the deal after it happened.
This some bull shit here🤦🏾♂️
— Darius Slay (@_bigplayslay23) October 22, 2019
Diggs accused Lions management of dealing him in an effort to “control voices in the locker room.” With Slay being an outspoken critic of the Diggs deal and promising to make significant contract demands, he could certainly qualify as a voice that Patricia and Quinn’s regime would prefer silenced.
Schefter reports that the Lions are “adamant on value” in any trade talks involving Slay. If Patricia and Quinn want another year on the job, they can’t afford to keep dealing quality players for paltry returns.
That goes for Slay and Stafford.
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