With free agency rapidly heating up with each passing day, Darius Slay is getting in on the theme by deciding to fan the flames.
The Detroit Lions made a move to strengthen their secondary by adding veteran cornerback Desmond Trufant on Wednesday evening, prompting Slay -- a three-time Pro Bowler and 2017 first-team All-Pro selection -- to put on his GM hat and take to Twitter.
Evidently, Slay's joy in seeing a fellow Pro Bowler in Trufant make his money just so happened to mesh with desires related to his own future.
Was this a mere coincidence? The safe bet would be to say that it's not.
Dating back to last offseason, Slay and Detroit's front office have struggled to see eye-to-eye. He opted to sit out mandatory minicamp after both sides failed to agree on a new, long-term deal. He also notably voiced his feelings regarding the team's decision to trade Quandre Diggs back in October.
After ending his holdout, Slay re-joined the team ahead of training camp and went on to start 14 games this past season, tallying 46 tackles, 13 passes defended and two interceptions. He's set to make a base salary of $10 million, with a roster bonus of $218,750 and a workout bonus of $250K in 2020, the last year of his current deal.
Slay's thinly veiled frustration with his organization calls to mind the recently ended saga of standout receiver Stefon Diggs, who was traded from the Vikings to the Bills on March 16 after his relationship with the team soured over the past two years. He took a moment to get in on the fun and comment on Slay's wish.
Detroit will take its time evaluating its options, with a trade -- the option the disgruntled star hopes for the most -- being chief among them. Based on his remarks, though, the 29-year-old believes the sand ran out in the hourglass long ago.
In an effort to remain diplomatic, however, Slay later stated he still has love for the Lions' fan base.
