'Good start': Lions' Slay, Harrison report to training camp

Allen Park -- Confirming a pair of earlier reports, cornerback Darius Slay and defensive tackle Damon Harrison reported to Detroit Lions training camp Wednesday morning, ending speculation one or both players would hold out in pursuit of new contracts. 

"Everybody is here, so we've had a good morning, a good start," defensive coordinator Paul Pasqualoni said. "We're anxious to get out there, see guys run, see what level of condition we're in as a team."

Slay and Harrison had both skipped the voluntary portions of the offseason program, as well as mandatory minicamp last month. Each player sacrificed a $250,000 workout bonus by sitting out OTAs and incurred an $88,000 fine for missing minicamp. 

Represented by powerful agent Drew Rosenhaus, Slay and Harrison were angling for contract extensions this offseason, despite each having two years remaining on their current deals.

Harrison, one of the NFL's premier run-stuffers, is set to earn $6.75 million this year and up to $9.25 million next year, but has no guaranteed money remaining on his contract. His addition before last season's trade deadline helped transform Detroit's run defense from among the league's worst into one of the best down the stretch. 

"It's complete mayhem. It's a massacre," teammate Jarrad Davis said about playing behind Harrison. "It's awesome to have him in front of me. It clears up a lot of things." 

Slay, who signed a four-year extension in 2016, led the NFL in interceptions in 2017 and earned a first-team All-Pro and back-to-back Pro Bowl selections. He has base salaries of $12.55 million in 2019 and $10 million in 2020. 

Due to a number of players signing new deals in recent years, the average value of Slay's 2016 extension now ranks 13th for his position.