New Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin said in January that cornerback Darius Slay has “a lot of room to improve.” G.M. Martin Mayhew said last week that Slay will need to roll up his sleeves to get there.
“He has a lot of work to do,” Mayhew said at the league meetings in Orlando, via the team’s official website. “I think he’s up to the challenge. He finished up strong for us the last half of the season. I’m looking forward to seeing him this season.”
A second-round pick in 2013, Slay appeared in 13 games with four starts. By not adding any big-name corners in free agency, the expectation is that Slay will start plenty more in 2014.
As Tim Twentyman of the Lions’ website points out, the team will likely play more man-to-man coverage under Austin, which suits Slay’s strengths. The Lions will expect to see more strengths than weaknesses this year from Slay.