Eagles CB Darius Slay & Matt Patricia: Story Still Waiting to Be Told

The hiring of Matt Patricia was the biggest head-scratching move of the Philadelphia Eagles' offseason, considering the frosty relationship he and cornerback Darius Slay had with the Detroit Lions.

Darius Slay wasn’t made available to talk with reporters during the Philadelphia Eagles’ spring program. Neither was Matt Patricia, the team’s new senior defensive assistant coach, former Detroit Lions head coach, and the mostly right-hand man of Bill Belichick.

Of all the moves the Eagles made during the offseason, perhaps the biggest head-scratcher, and one under the radar, was the hiring of the 48-year-old Patricia.

Why?

Because of the frosty relationship berthed in 2018, when Patricia took over as the Lions’ head man. It was then that Slay, coming off his first – and still only – first-team All-Pro season, lost respect for Patricia, who questioned the cornerback’s abilities shortly after he took over in Detroit.

The Eagles’ hiring of Patricia, who was 13-29-1 during his short stay in Detroit, was announced in a weird way. 

It was first announced on their website on April 20, just prior to a pre-draft press conference by coach Nick Sirriani and general manager Howie Roseman. The Eagles, though, quickly took the announcement down.

Of course, the first question in the ensuing press conference was about whether Patricia was hired or not. Sirianni said it was trending in that direction. Not long after, the hiring was announced.

“Like you do with anything, you go through and you talk to guys and make sure everybody is comfortable with it,” Sirianni said more than two months ago. “I had conversations with Slay; obviously had conversations with Coach Patricia. I know that it will be a good working relationship for us when that happens.”

The relationship between Slay and Patricia will be a worthy storyline when the Eagles report to training camp on July 25.

At least then, Slay will likely speak shortly after. The cornerback always speaks his mind, too, so it will be interesting to hear what he has to say about his former head coach.

The Eagles made a few assistants available to speak with reporters during the spring – defensive backs coach D.K. McDonald, linebacker coach D.J Eliot, and quarterback coach Alex Tanney, among them, in addition to the three coordinators.

Patricia, well, maybe he’ll be made available to talk at some point.

Slay gave a glimpse into the Eagles' hiring of Patricia during an interview with Jenna Malinowski of the Detroit Free Press prior to a celebrity golf outing earlier this spring.

"It’s another day at the office,” Slay told the newspaper. “We both got the same goal, just going out there to compete and win a championship, so that’s the main focus.”

Short and sweet without any elaboration.

Patricia’s role is undefined, perhaps another reason he will be requested by reporters to talk with them at some point during camp. 

He could very well be the right-hand man of defensive coordinator Sean Desai, but the Eagles also have change with McDonald overseeing the defensive backs and Eliot, who has spent his entire career coaching in college, with the linebackers.

“Obviously, his résumé speaks for itself,” Sirianni said. “It gives you a great mind in there that's done it at the highest level, and so it gives you great ability to bounce ideas off of with the defensive staff.

“Then also it gives me another former head coach that I can bounce ideas off of, as well, with things, which I think will be very helpful.”

Whatever his role, the spotlight will be on how much, and how well, Slay and Patricia will be able to relate to one another.

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Ed Kracz covers the Philadelphia Eagles for SI's EaglesToday.

Please follow him and our Eagles coverage on Twitter at @kracze.

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