Player: CB Darius Slay
Stock Value: Purchased
Reasoning: The Steelers have added another veteran cornerback, this time Darius Slay. With a pedigree similar to Patrick Peterson two years ago, they hope he has a bit more left in the tank. Slay enters the 2025 season already 34 years old, and he intercepted zero passes in the 2024 regular season. That doesn’t tell the full story, but nevertheless, they must have their fingers crossed.
Many years ago, before Dan Rooney put a stop to it, Pittsburgh was a team that traded away its draft picks for players whose best years were already behind them. At least the Steelers didn’t trade anything for Patrick Peterson or Darius Slay this year.
That the Steelers even had Darius Slay to sign is a surprise, as the Eagles suddenly released him. They were open to re-signing him, but taking the opportunity to explore his market, he chose Pittsburgh. One can only hope that it proves to be the right move, not just for Slay but for the Steelers.
A former second-round pick, Darius Slay has 12 NFL seasons under his belt. Prior to the 2024 season, he made the Pro Bowl in six out of the prior seven seasons. Had the Eagles not played in the Super Bowl, he probably would have been an alternate. At least, perhaps that’s what the Steelers are telling themselves.
After all, they needed to do something, though they could have re-signed Donte Jackson. The Steelers traded for him last year, but is Slay an upgrade? Jackson intercepted five passes last season, while Slay intercepted none.
He does have 28 career interceptions, though, and 160 passes defensed, the latter of which is the most by any active player in the NFL. However, the Steelers had the active leader in interceptions, Patrick Peterson, and they decided to release him. Will Slay be a better option than the recent veterans they have explored, even for just one season?
With the new league year underway and the Steelers turning their roster over, it’s once again time to “take stock”. It took a while, but we finally saw some of that change the team talked about after the season ended. Certainly, the move to trade for WR DK Metcalf qualifies as a change, not to mention the accompanying contract.
There is still a long way to go before we know what this Steelers team is going to look like. Once the dust settles on free agency, we turn our attention to the draft and so on. What other moves might the team make, perhaps unexpected acquisitions or departures? If they traded for one player, they could certainly trade for another or trade one away. This is a Steelers team starving for postseason success, but how desperate are they for a playoff win in 2025?
