Carson Wentz hyping up Darius Slay is a great sign for the Eagles

Darius Slay is turning heads at Eagles camp.

Despite the fact that the Philadelphia Eagles have made the playoffs in each of the last three seasons, Carson Wentz and Doug Pederson have often won games in spite of a roster that lacks depth, especially in the secondary. Howie Roseman identified the secondary as an area that needs major improvement and fixed it by trading for Detroit Lions cornerback Darius Slay, as he fell out with head coach Matt Patricia.

Slay’s ability to make plays on the ball got Wentz’s attention during the first few days of Eagles practice, and Wentz thinks that the former Mississippi State star is a “difference-maker” who can change the whole outlook of the Eagles’ defense.

Darius Slay should help beef up a weak Eagles secondary.

Quarterbacks only had an 81.6 passer rating and a completion percentage of 56 percent on throws targeting Slay in 2019. He is expected to start alongside Sidney Jones and nickel cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman in Philly’s base nickel defense. Jalen Mills, often maligned due to his propensity for giving up big plays down the field, will transition to safety to accommodate the arrival of Slay.

One major problem Philly had last year on defense was their inability to force turnovers, as they ranked 21st in the league with just 20 takeaways. Slay has picked off 13 passes over the last three seasons and trails only Defensive Player of the Year Stephon Gilmore in forced incompletions. He’s a bit of a gambler, but he is now clearly the best defensive back on Philadelphia’s roster.

As good as Wentz is, the Eagles’ chances for contention in 2020 hinge solely on if their revamped defense, who lost veteran leader Malcolm Jenkins this offseason, is able to stop the high-octane offenses cropping up in the NFC. If Slay is able to shadow the opposing team’s No. 1 receiver and take them out of the game on a regular basis, Philly will be a team worth watching in the postseason.