3 Reasons Darius Slay Was a Better Fit for Eagles Than Byron Jones

The Philadelphia Eagles were always expected to reboot their secondary this offseason, and the team finally struck a deal on Thursday that will go a long way in doing just that.

ESPN insider Adam Schefter reported that the Eagles acquired Detroit Lions star cornerback Darius Slay and signed him to a monster three-year, $50 million extension. The deal makes Slay the highest-paid cornerback (annually) in the NFL as he unseats Byron Jones, who inked a five-year, $82.5 contract with the Miami Dolphins earlier in the week.

Slay and Jones were often tabbed two best available corners this offseason. In our eyes, the former is a better fit for the Eagles. Here are three reasons why we feel that way.

3. Slay's Ceiling Will Be Higher Than Ever

What do we normally see from formerly disgruntled stars once they are freed from an incompetent franchise? More often than not, they go on to have career years. The same should be said for Slay, who has long itched for a move out of Detroit. Not only is he no longer a Lion, but he was dealt to a contender in the Eagles. Slay uncharacteristically performed under his standards in 2019. Expect that to change in a big way in 2020 and beyond with Philadelphia.

2. Slay Can Handle Philadelphia's Ruthlessness

This isn't to say that Jones couldn't deal with Philadelphia's reactionary tendencies, but Slay is just a different breed of confident and pompous. The three-time Pro Bowler's moxie is apparent on the gridiron and he translates that to all facets of life. Look no further than his demands on Twitter to be traded out of Detroit. Slay will likely get torn apart for a bad performance, but he will take it in stride and use it to make him better. He won't succumb to the standards that Eagles fans set. Again, that's not to say that Jones would. Slay is just more of a guarantee to feed off it. From a culture perspective, this is a perfect marriage.

1. Slay Forces Turnovers

Boasting blanketing coverage skills isn't the only variable that should go into grading defensive backs. Especially in today's NFL, corners need to be able to generate turnovers. Slay is a turnover machine, whereas Jones just isn't. In 79 career games, Jones has compiled just two interceptions and three forced fumbles. Slay, on the other hand, has registered 19 INTs (!) and one forced fumble across 109 career games. Philly is going to adore Slay's ball-hawking dexterity and his knack to force turnovers.