As offseason workouts officially begin, several big-name wide receivers like Justin Jefferson, CeeDee Lamb, and Courtland Sutton have held out while hoping for a new contract. New York Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton is not nearly as big a name as those three, but the longtime Giant is also skipping training camp in hopes of landing a new contract or a trade.
While Slayton is no superstar, he has been the most reliable receiver on the Giants for quite some time. Last year, the former fifth-round pick finished the season with 50 receptions for 770 yards and four touchdowns, making it the fourth time in the past five years that he has led the team in receiving yards. Now entering the final year of his contract, New York will have to decide if they want to increase his pay or trade him to a team that will feature him.
Darius Slayton Holds Out, Could Be Trade Candidate
There is a decent chance that New York’s decision will come down to what they do in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Despite signing Daniel Jones to a massive extension one year ago, most league reporters believe the team is actively looking for a new quarterback. If the team lands someone like J.J. McCarthy through a trade, then New York will probably keep Darius Slayton around as a reliable target.
If, however, the Giants miss out on a quarterback, they could be more willing to trade Darius Slayton. Four quarterbacks are expected to go off the board with the first five picks, which means that either Marvin Harrison or Malik Nabers will be on the board when New York is on the clock. These two are some of the best wide receiver prospects to hit the NFL in years and are more than capable of being the top option in an offense. Perhaps the team can find a way to draft one of these players and keep Slayton around, but the longtime Giant will not be a priority.
Darius Slayton isn’t going to fetch a massive return in a trade, but some team should be willing to give up something for his services. Even though the wide receiver class is loaded with talent, there are only so many good prospects to go around. Depending on what happens during the three-day event, these teams could be interested in acquiring the veteran receiver.
Possible Trade Destinations
New England Patriots
The Patriots will draft a quarterback with the third-overall pick, and they’ll need to do something to help him succeed. Darius Slayton should not be the top option in any passing attack, but the trade candidate is a considerably more effective deep threat than Tyquan Thornton. New England will need some time to rebuild their offense, and Slayton’s vertical ability should complement Kendrick Bourne and Demario Douglas.
Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers desperately need wide receiver help, and recent reports indicate that it won’t come in the first round. Head coach Jim Harbaugh is reportedly set on taking an offensive tackle, which means Justin Herbert won’t have a top receiving target in 2024. Darius Slayton would easily be the best receiver on this depth chart, and he shouldn’t cost too much in a trade. The team is reportedly interested in Marquez Valdes-Scantling, and Slayton is just a better version of the same skillset.
Carolina Panthers
The Panthers have two reliable intermediate threats in Diontae Johnson and Adam Thielen, but they need somebody who can stretch the defense. Seeing as the team doesn’t have a first-round pick, they could be forced to settle for Darius Slayton in a trade. While a player like Xavier Worthy would be a perfect fit for this offense, he might not make it out of the first round.
Kansas City Chiefs
Nobody knows what will happen with Rashee Rice, which means the Chiefs need to get some more help at wide receiver. Marquise Brown already provides a reliable deep threat in this offense, but why shouldn’t this team get another and trade for Darius Slayton? After all, Kansas City tried to get two deep threats when they combined Tyreek Hill with Mecole Hardman back in the 2019 NFL Draft. Obviously, Brown is nowhere near as good as Hill, but head coach Andy Reid could go for a similar plan.
Pittsburgh Steelers
George Pickens is one of the more promising young receivers in the game, but he shouldn’t be the only option in any passing game. Russell Wilson isn’t the player he used to be, but he still throws a beautiful deep ball. Darius Slayton excels at getting open downfield, and he should quickly establish a rapport with the one-time Super Bowl champion. Adding another reliable receiver while upgrading the quarterback position should put Pittsburgh back in the playoffs in 2024.
Main Photo: Vincent Carchietta – USA Today Sports
