Player: CB Darius Slay
Stock Value: Down
Reasoning: Darius Slay isn’t living up to his billing in his first and likely only season with the Steelers, and his snap count is reflecting that. As the veteran cornerback continues to struggle, the coaches are adjusting his role. At least that is how it appeared on Sunday, in between his missed tackles.
Surprising precisely nobody, the cornerback position is rife with confident personalities. Entering this season, both Darius Slay and Jalen Ramsey said they could still run with anybody in the league. If this were Maury, they would have passed the lie detector but would still be left holding the baby.
Based upon the preponderance of the evidence, Darius Slay is no longer suited for the role that once made him a rich man and earned him the “Big Play Slay” moniker. It’s not his fault, either. It’s simply what happens as elite athletes age and try to compete with other elite athletes. But the result is the same, and the Steelers are caught in a tough position now.
What is abundantly clear is that the Steelers don’t have the secondary they thought they did. Perhaps they are slowly realizing that, especially as it concerns Slay. On Sunday, he started to see fewer snaps, Brandin Echols seeing work in his stead.
While Echols didn’t exactly turn the tide, Slay’s most notable plays in the game were the tackles that he missed. If one had only seen his performance against the Packers, one would surely question why he’s starting.
Now, the question is, is the bigger issue the talent or the scheme? Can the Steelers still play at a high level with what they have by managing expectations and making adjustments to their coverage patterns that allows more grace for their aging cornerbacks? If Darius Slay isn’t left on an island, can he still be effective?
With regular season underway and the roster in place, it’s once again time to “take stock”. It took a while, but we finally saw some of thatchange 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. Oh, and they also traded some guy named George Pickens, which people found significant.
After a long offseason, we finally know what this Steelers team will look like for the 2025 season. The dust is long settled on both free agency andthe 2025 NFL Draft, and now we’re into the real thing . What final moves might the team make, if any? They’ve certainly made a flurry of moves, though some question whether they make much difference. This is a Steelers team starving for postseason success, but how desperate are they for a playoff win in 2025?
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