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Darius Slay says a lot of funny things on Twitter. The Philadelphia Eagles star had admitted he’s joking half the time, but people still hang onto his every word. Slay is charming, witty, and down to earth — and arguably the best cornerback in football.
Slay recently enjoyed a nice back and forth with All-Pro receiver Davante Adams who is set to become a free agent in 2022. The expectation remains the Green Bay Packers hand him a lucrative contract extension — Pro Football Focus predicted $93 million over four years — but nothing’s stopping him from hitting the open market. Especially if Aaron Rodgers were to leave Wisconsin.
Adams rushed to defend Slay on Twitter the other day when the corner was lamenting not being selected to the All-Pro team. Slay received just one vote while Atlanta’s A.J. Terrell got eight. The starters on this year’s All-Pro team are tough to dispute: Jalen Ramsey (Los Angeles), Trevon Diggs (Dallas).
But Slay certainly has a legitimate gripe for not taking second-team honors over Terrell. New England’s J.C. Jackson was the other second-team selection. Diggs leads the NFL in picks with 11; Jackson ranks second with eight.
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Adams, Slay First Battled in NFC North
Slay and Adams have been battling each other since 2014 when they faced off twice a year in the NFC North. Adams joined the Packers that year, while Slay was drafted by the Detroit Lions in 2013. The two star players have struck up a nice friendship over the years while remaining fierce competitors.
Adams went off for 121 yards and two touchdowns on 10 catches in 2020 when the Eagles and Packers met in Week 13. Slay was on him for half the game and took ownership for letting him eat. After the game, he had nothing but kind words to say about Adams. Ditto for Adams who praised Slay before their matchup.
“Slay’s a great player,” Adams told reporters, via The Athletic. “He’s been doing it at a high level for a really long time now. I’ve got a lot of respect for him.”
Packers, Eagles Face Salary Cap Concerns
Adams has gone on record saying he wants to be paid in line with the top receivers in the NFL. It’s tough to argue his production: 5,310 receiving yards on 432 receptions with 47 touchdowns over the past four years — and that’s including nine missed games. You could argue he’s the best receiver in football.
The Packers are going to do everything in their power to keep Adams. However, the cap situation in Green Bay is a sticky one — one of the five worst in the NFL, according to NFL Trade Rumors — as they are $46 million in the hole and have to decide what to do about Rodgers before anything else.
If they don’t extend him, he’s likely to enter free agency in 2023 and leave. The Packers could slap the franchise tag on Adams at around $20 million, but he won’t like that. He’ll be pointing to the $27 million per year deal that Houston Texans star receiver DeAndre Hopkins signed.
Meanwhile, the Eagles have their own cap issues with $13.6 million in projected space in 2022. They can easily create extra money by trading Andre Dillard ($2.2 million) and cutting Brandon Brooks ($13.5 million), then letting Derek Barnett walk in free agency ($7.2 million in dead cap). And never count out Eagles general manager Howie Roseman from moving money around via extensions and restructures.
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