Why Darius Slay's stay on top of the NFL cornerback heap was so short

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Darius Slay’s stay as the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history didn’t last very long.

His stay at No. 2 was even shorter.

After the Eagles acquired Slay from the Lions in March, they gave him a celebrated three-year, $50.05 million contract with $30.05 million guaranteed.

With that deal and its $16.68 million average, Slay supplanted Byron Jones as the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history. 

Jones got $82.5 million over five years for a $16.5 million average with $40 million guaranteed when he left the Cowboys for the Dolphins.

Coming into this offseason, Miami’s Xavien Howard held the title as highest-paid corner in NFL History at $15.05 million per year on a five-year deal he signed in March of 2019. That deal included $46 million guaranteed.

Then everything changed.

On Saturday, the Bills made Tre’Davious White the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history with a four-year, $69 million deal with $46 million in guaranteed money. White’s $17.25 million average bumped Slay to No. 2 all-time.

White’s stay on top of the cornerback heap lasted all of four days.

On Wednesday, the Rams inked Jalen Ramsey to a record-setting new contract and while the detailed numbers weren’t immediately available, it’s been widely reported as a five-year, $105 million deal with $71.2 million guaranteed — more than twice Slay’s guaranteed money — and an annual average of $21 million, which is a full 20 percent more per year than what Slay is getting.

Ramsey shouldn’t get too comfortable as the NFL’s highest-paid corner.

Because Patrick Peterson and Shaquill Griffin are up after this year and Marshon Lattimore’s deal is up next year. A.J. Bouye and Stephon Gilmore are signed through 2022, but the way the cornerback market continues getting redefined, the sooner those guys get signed the “cheaper” those deals will be. 

Would it be a cheap shot if we mentioned that Sidney Jones is making $8,400 a week on the Jaguars’ practice squad?

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