Could the Steelers unload Darius Slay before the trade deadline?
The NFL trade deadline is coming up, and one beat reporter floated Darius Slay as a name that the Steelers could try to move. A free agent signing this offseason at $10 million, he hasn’t played up to expectations. Problem is, they have already paid him the vast majority of his salary. Nearly 90 percent of it took the shape of a signing bonus, so the Steelers don’t have much to gain.
While Darius Slay as a brand might still have some cachet, his performance with the Steelers has not elicited enthusiasm. It’s hard to imagine general managers around the league have watched Pittsburgh’s defense licking their chops.
Even Slay has admitted that he can play a lot better than he has so far this year, but will the Steelers give him a chance? First of all, would the Steelers even be interested in moving him if they could? After all, they’ve already paid for him anyway. At worst, he could be depth. But they already started stripping away at his playing time, and now Cory Trice Jr. is back in the mix. Or potentially will be soon. Who knows with him.
So, if the Steelers are interested in moving Darius Slay, the question then becomes whether or not there are any potential buyers. Certainly, there won’t be anybody tripping over their feet rushing to make an offer. There is a reason the Steelers were able to sign him relatively easily on a $10 million contract. There is also a reason the Eagles released him in the first place.
But Slay isn’t completely washed, and secondary depth is always valuable. The Steelers just got S Kyle Dugger from the Patriots for next to nothing, so we do see these moves. One increasingly popular move is for late-round pick swaps. That’s what Pittsburgh did with Dugger, for example, and they’ve done that for years.
But what trade value would it be worth the Steelers’ while to move on from Darius Slay? Would a sixth-round pick in exchange for a seventh-round pick do anything for them? Is Slay that bad in terms of being a depth piece that that much moves the needle? What about an outright seventh-round pick?
After another disappointing season and months of retooling, the Steelers are set to try it all again in 2025. Though they limped into the playoffs, they once again embarrassed themselves therein.
Just like last year, the biggest question hanging over the Steelers isthe quarterback question. They settled in on Aaron Rodgers, but we still have a lot to learn about him. The2025 NFL Draft class could play a big role, but veteran additions like Jalen Ramsey will be paramount.
Now we are in the regular season. From Rodgers to George Pickens to Minkah Fitzpatrick and Ramsey, we’ve seen the Steelers make some big changes. Now it’s about evaluating the roster in place and figuring out how it all works out.
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