Darius Slay reacts to Eagles' acquisition of Kevin Byard
As the old mantra goes, the rich get richer. No NFL team has better exemplified those words than the Philadelphia Eagles over recent months.
Coming off a Super Bowl appearance, the reigning NFC champions spent their offseason reloading. From striking gold with their Jalen Carter-led 2023 draft class to acquiring starting running back D'Andre Swift for pennies on the dollar, Philadelphia's ploy to stack talent has no end.
The team's latest roster move on Monday was further proof of just that, striking a trade for two-time All-Pro safety Kevin Byard. Following the deal, Eagles cornerback Darius Slay sent a quick message across social media that should strike fear into the rest of the 31 NFL teams.
With six wins on the season, the Eagles are tied with the Kansas City Chiefs for the best record in football — and as Slay pointed out, they just got exponentially better.
Byard, 30, is one of the league's more unheralded stars, racking up two Pro Bowls and 27 interceptions since being drafted by the Titans in 2016. His insertion into Philadelphia's secondary helps shore up an otherwise lethal Eagles defense.
While the Eagles own the sixth-best total defense in football, their secondary was lagging behind, surrendering the 15th most passing YPG this season (227.4). In comparison, Philadelphia boasted the league's top-ranked pass defense a season ago, allowing just 179.8 YPG through the air.
Safety had been the most glaring question mark on the Eagles defensive unit. Reed Blankenship was held out of Philadelphia's Week 7 win over the Miami Dolphins, while Justin Evans remains on injured reserve due to a knee injury. Terrell Edmunds, the safety Philadelphia sent to Tennessee (along with a 2024 fifth and sixth-round pick), has allowed a 63.2 completion percentage in coverage this season — second most among Eagles defenders (min. 13 targets).
Fortifying the backend of their defense with the addition of Byard, the Eagles look destined for another Super Bowl run.
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