CB Slay could be costly, right
By this time last year, Broncos general manager John Elway had already settled the quarterback position, or at least he thought so, by having a trade in place with Baltimore for Joe Flacco.
Might Elway and Co. be up to similar business before heading to Indianapolis for next week’s scouting combine?
Per ESPN on Monday, the Detroit Lions have spoken with “multiple teams” about former all-pro cornerback Darius Slay, who has one year remaining on his contract. Slay, whose eight interceptions led the NFL in 2017, doesn’t see eye to eye with coach Matt Patricia, leading to the trade chatter and the Lions’ potential desire to get something for him instead of letting him walk for nothing in 2021.
Acquiring Slay would be costly on two fronts, however.
Compensation Part No. 1: A “second- or third-” round pick, an NFL executive told The Denver Post.
Compensation Part No. 2: The executive said a contract averaging “$15 millionish,” per year.
In both areas, the trade is doable for Elway if he is determined to complete it.
The Broncos have their second-round pick and three third-rounders — theirs plus picks from Pittsburgh (for trading down in last year’s first round) and San Francisco (for trading receiver Emmanuel Sanders). If they deal their second-round pick for Slay, they would still have the ability to use their thirdround satchel to move up.
And the Broncos have $62 million in salary cap space ,according to @NFL_Stats, fifth-most in the league. Slay’s new salary could fit without an issue.
Slay makes complete sense from a Broncos football standpoint.
The Broncos’ only healthy under-contract cornerbacks are Isaac Yiadom, Duke Dawson and Davontae Harris. All three were benched at some point during the 2019 season. Bryce Callahan (foot) didn’t play at all last year, and Chris Harris is a free agent.
Slay has missed only nine games in seven years and has 19 interceptions and 104 passes defensed in 103 games. He remains a cagey player in terms of when to jump routes, when to defend the first-down marker and how to stay out of major penalty problems (six last year).
Trading for Slay before March 18 would allow the Broncos to proceed in free agency knowing they have a No. 1 cornerback in the fold. They would probably wave goodbye to Harris (unless his market doesn’t develop and he lowers his asking price) and not have to get into a bidding contest for Dallas’ Byron Jones.
If they have Slay, the Broncos could focus their finances on inside linebacker (the Rams’ Cory Littleton?), receiver (Dallas’ Amari Cooper?) and guard (Washington’s Brandon Scherff, who would cost huge money). The same goes for the draft — they could wait until rounds 2 and 3 for a cornerback.
The issue, though, is Slay’s next contract. He is entering the final season of a four-year, $48 million pact that carries a 2020 salary cap number of $13.368 million. His camp will want that deal torn up.
Is Slay worth $15 million per year? Elway doesn’t think Harris is, although Harris is two years older than Slay.
Only one cornerback, Miami’s Xavien Howard, currently has a contract averaging at least $15 million ($15.05 million). But buyers should be wary because the Jets’ Trumaine Johnson ($14.5 million) has been a bust and Minnesota’s Xavier Rhodes ($14.02 million) struggled at points in 2019.
What it boils down to for the Broncos: Do they like Harris at $12 million to $13 million? Do they really like Jones at $16 million to $17 million? Or do they like Slay enough to give up a premium draft pick and then pay him $15 million?
I believe keeping the one you know (Harris) is the best play because he won’t be as expensive as Slay/ Jones. But we don’t know what coach Vic Fangio thinks of Harris — he may be set on getting The Next Guy regardless of the cost.