PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – A Super Bowl champion corner is available in free agency. Is he the best option for the Steelers or would re-signing their starter from last year make more sense?
Darius Slay started 14 games for the Eagles last year finishing with 13 passes defensed, 49 tackles, including three for loss, and a forced fumble and recovery. It’s the first time since his rookie season with Detroit in 2013 that he didn’t have an interception.
Using Pro Football Focus for the numbers, Slay was the 23rd best corner in the league last year. In terms of coverage, he was 15th best. However, he is 34 and the Eagles felt comfortable enough in their situation to let him go. The 6’, 190-pound, 12-year veteran was going into the final year of a three-year deal valued at $42 million with an average salary of $14 million.
Slay worked with current Steelers defensive coordinator Teryl Austin from his second NFL season through his fifth as Austin was the Lions secondary coach. Slay has also commented on his podcast how much he likes Mike Tomlin. It’s worth noting he also said he wouldn’t mind going back to Detroit or staying with the Eagles. You may remember him from getting into a shoving match with Darnell Washington during the Steelers-Eagles game.
In the first six weeks of the 2024 season, Pro Football Focus ranked Donte Jackson as a top 20 corner. At that point he had three interceptions, four passes defensed and 18 tackles (11 solo). After that point, the 5’11”, 180-pound, seven-year veteran had only two above average performances, both against Cleveland.
He had a pick against the Browns, along with Cincinnati, where he also had a fumble recovery. He missed a couple of games down the stretch because of a pinched-nerve in his back which impacted his practice time for the last month-plus of the season.
Jackson dropped from top-20 corner to being ranked 110th overall by the end of the 2024 season. Coverage is not as much a strength historically as his tackling and overall play. The numbers dipped late in the year, although he did struggle, per PFF, against the Chargers, Jets and Washington before the injury really started impacting him.
The 29-year-old ended with the worst PFF overall grade of his seven-year career (49.4) last season with the Steelers, after rating 64.3 with the Panthers in 2023 and 70.4 in 2020.
Jackson was an upbeat clubhouse guy, seemed to have a great relationship sharing information with Joey Porter, Junior. Spotrac lists his likely contract to be lower than last year at $15 million, it’s estimated to be in the $12 million range, but he will likely want multiple years.
Is there an advantage bringing in a veteran like Slay just to work with Porter and third-year corner Cory Trice, who has missed much of two seasons due to injury? Porter was much better when Patrick Peterson was a part of the secondary his rookie season. Does that speak to the importance of a veteran presence?
There are obviously other options. Younger, more expensive options like DJ Reed from the Jets, Niners Charavarius Ward, Asante Samuel, Junior from the Chargers. What is the priority of the position in terms of the salary cap? Was the decline from Jackson because of the back injury? Is that injury something that could linger going forward? Can Slay still play at 34 and if so does he bring a double benefit?
Not as sexy as a need at quarterback or receiver, it’s an important decision for 2025 and beyond.