One of the Philadelphia Eagles' most pressing needs heading into 2020 NFL free agency was to revamp a secondary that struggled with injuries and inconsistency last season.
They made significant progress on that project with a big addition late Wednesday night by acquiring lockdown cornerback Darius Slay from the Detroit Lions for a pair of draft picks.
Detroit will receive a third-round pick (No. 85 overall) and a fifth-round pick (No. 166) in the trade, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
The Eagles then locked up the 29-year-old Slay with a new contract that will pay him just over $50 million over three years, agent Drew Rosenhaus told NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
Philadelphia made the playoffs last season but went just 9-7 in the mediocre NFC East and cliched the spot by beating the Dallas Cowboys in the regular-season finale.
The Eagles lost 17-9 to the Seattle Seahawks in the wild-card round.
William Hill has the Eagles listed at +1700 in its NFL futures odds to win the Super Bowl next season, and they are tied with the Cowboys as the +120 favorite to win the East.
They are the fourth favorite to win the NFC at +800, behind the Cowboys (+600), New Orleans Saints (+550) and San Francisco 49ers (+325).
The Philly secondary was a sore spot all year in 2019, with the defense ranking 19th against the pass and giving up crucial big plays.
The Eagles had their sights on Cowboys free agent Byron Jones, but he agreed to a deal to join the Miami Dolphins.
Slay lobbied for an extension last offseason and sought a trade, but the Lions couldn't find an offer that worked.
The Pro Bowl cornerback's new contract makes him the highest-paid in the NFL at his position with a $16.7 million annual salary.
In his seven seasons in Detroit, Slay posted 104 pass breakups and 19 interceptions, sharing the league lead with eight in 2017.
He has made three consecutive Pro Bowls and earned first-team All-Pro honors in 2017.
He played his rookie season under current Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, who was Detroit's head coach.
Slay's presence will allow Schwartz to shift his coverage to protect his other cornerbacks, with Sidney Jones currently the starter on the other side and Avonte Maddox and Rasul Douglas also available.
Teams will need to complete physicals to finalize contracts and trades, and the 2020 NFL Draft is still scheduled for next month, so check back here to see what is new around the NFL.
