Lions General Manager Updates Darius Slay Extension Talks

Bob Quinn

Getty Bob Quinn at a press conference.

The Detroit Lions, according to reports, have placed Darius Slay firmly on the trading block, but that doesn’t mean there hasn’t been dialogue as it relates to a potential deal.

Speaking with Tori Petry of DetroitLions.com, general manager Bob Quinn addressed where the team is currently at with Slay. As expected, he didn’t say much, but he did offer a bit of an update as it relates to where things could be within talks.

“I think all those negotiations I’ll kind of keep private between myself and his representatives,” Quinn said in the clip. “We’ve had a lot of good talks really over the last year or so including recently in the last couple of weeks. All those conversations are good, but they’re private.”

Slay could currently be on the trading block, but according to Quinn, he’s had talks with his representatives recently. Obviously, this doesn’t mean that Slay won’t be traded, but sheds some additional light on the process thus far.


Darius Slay Rumored Talking Contract With Lions

The cornerback was rumored to be on the move prior to the trade deadline, but a deal never panned out. Slay has been open to the idea of staying, and that could be just what the Lions are currently working on at this point in time.

According to a recent report by ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Lions have been working with Slay to try and get an extension done. Nothing has happened yet, and the parties have been trying to hash out a deal for a while.

As Fowler explains, the Lions could choose to deal Slay in the event that they do not get a deal done. In other words, stay focused on this case in the coming weeks and months.

Slay himself has maintained he wants to stay in Detroit, but will be willing to roll with the punches no matter what happens.


Lions Dangers Trading Darius Slay

If Quinn is motivated to keep Slay around, it could be for good reason. Subtracting Slay from the mix would seemingly hamper the Lions’ chances to have an elite season in 2020 given the cornerback’s importance to the team as a whole. If Slay does go, decisions will have to be made.

Analyst Chris Burke of The Athletic explained after new Slay rumors surfaced that the Lions have a big decision to make in terms of whether to deal the top corner. If they do, the team will have to answer the question of “what’s next,” and there are few easy answers to that query. In fact, as Burke says, the move could help the Lions open another gaping hole on their roster prior to the 2020 offseason.

If the Lions do decide on a Slay trade, it’s likely the team will have to make some sort of a signing in free agency, either a Chris Harris, Byron Jones or some other large name. They might also have to look strongly in Jeffrey Okudah’s direction during the NFL Draft. A combination of these moves could

Slay, however, offers the team some security in terms of everyone knowing what to expect from the player at his position. Heading into a bumpy offseason, that fact should offer some comfort to the team and their staff.

If Slay gets traded, the Lions will have a major challenge as it relates to how to react. Right now, mum remains the word from the general manager.

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