Mayhew Impressed By How Much Slay Improved From Year One To Year Two
By Ashley Dunkak
@AshleyDunkak
CBS DETROIT – A second-round pick in 2013, cornerback Darius Slay had a rough first season with the Detroit Lions. Now, after a much more successful sophomore campaign, Slay stands as an example of a player taking initiative to improve his game and deliver on his potential, general manager Martin Mayhew said.
As a rookie, Slay played in 13 games but started only four. He made 34 tackles and defended five passes but did not snag a single interception. His second season, Slay started every game, made 61 tackles, defended 17 passes and logged two picks.
"This is a guy that came in highly drafted, struggled some as a rookie, showed some flashes of what he could do but didn't do it at all consistently, and he took it upon himself to say, 'Hey, I'm going to be a better player than that,'" Mayhew said Friday at the NFL combine. "And he went and found a way to get that done. Got individual coaching, I assume he paid Rod [Woodson] to teach him, to tutor him, came back into the offseason program, [and] you could see a difference right away. Played with a lot more confidence, quickly grasped a totally new scheme.
"That's what young players have to do," Mayhew continued. "Guys that are going to survive in this league are going to find a way to work on their game to get themselves better, and they're not going to wait for something good to happen to them. They're going to make something good happen, and that's what Darius Slay did."
In addition to working with Woodson, Slay also took advantage of the presence of fellow cornerback Rashean Mathis. Slay attributed much of his learning to Mathis, the prototypical wise veteran whom Slay playfully refers to as "Old Man Shean."
Consistency was an area of improvement Slay stressed going from his first year in the league to his second, and Mayhew hinted the focus in that area needs to continue. However, he did say he believes Slay has Pro Bowl potential.
"I think he's shown those flashes," Mayhew said. "I think he's shown some flashes of some tremendous ability at corner. I don't know if you guys saw the play in the Cowboys game where Dez Bryant came off, and he jammed it into his knees – and Dez Bryant went to the Pro Bowl," Mayhew said. "Dez Bryant's a great receiver, and he played an outstanding game in that game. Obviously Shean went down, so [Slay] started going, tracking Dez and covering Dez every play, and he more than held his own against Dez.
"But that's one game; the great players do it consistently, week after week after week," Mayhew added. "I certainly think he has that kind of ability. I'm not sure what his offseason plans are, but it's a very, very critical offseason for him as far as taking his game to the next level. I think he has the physical ability to do that."
