New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers is taking the league by storm, and his emergence could lead to a Darius Slayton trade. Fresh off a 770-yard season despite abysmal quarterback play, Slayton spent a portion of the offseason actively searching for a new team or a new contract. Once nothing materialized, the former fifth-round pick returned to the field, hoping to hit free agency on the heels of another strong season. Instead, Nabers took over as the leader of the receiver room, leaving Slayton as an afterthought in the offense.
Through three games, the wide receiver has recorded just seven receptions for 66 yards and no touchdowns. By comparison, Nabers finished Week 3’s win over the Cleveland Browns with eight receptions for 87 yards and two touchdowns. Even with Nabers balling out, the Giants won’t compete in 2024, and Slayton likely wants to go to a team that can maximize his value. With this in mind, the Kansas City Chiefs and New Orleans Saints make perfect sense as trade destinations for Darius Slayton.
Chiefs, Saints Could Trade For Darius Slayton
The Kansas City Chiefs offense is in a weird spot. While the team is 3-0, the passing attack isn’t playing at their usual unstoppable level. Right now, the offense runs through second-year pro Rashee Rice and nobody else. Travis Kelce has yet to record more than 34 yards in a game, free-agent signee Marquise Brown is likely done for the season, and first-round pick Xavier Worthy is still adjusting to life in the NFL. Mahomes is fantastic, but this team could just as easily be 0-3 if it weren’t for some lucky breaks. Kansas City could use another receiver, and Darius Slayton could be the perfect trade target.
Xavier Worthy has the potential to be one of the game’s better deep threats, but the 5′-11″, 165-pound wideout isn’t ready to be a full-time starter quite yet. This team misses Marquise Brown, and Darius Slayton could fill a similar role via trade. While he doesn’t have the same game-breaking speed as those two, the former fifth-round pick has demonstrated an ability to stretch the field throughout his time with the Giants. If he can be an annual 700-yard guy with Daniel Jones, then imagine what he could be with Patrick Mahomes.
Saints Disappoint In Week 3
Following two weeks of dominant play, the New Orleans Saints took a significant step back in Week 3. Quarterback Derek Carr threw for just 142 yards and Chris Olave was the only receiver to do anything of note against the impressive defense of the Philadelphia Eagles. New Orleans should improve in Week 4 and beyond, but nobody should expect the magic of the first two weeks of the season to continue throughout the remainder of the campaign. This team needs additional help, and a Darius Slayton trade could get the job done.
Olave is phenomenal and Rashid Shaheed is a reliable deep threat, but this team should invest in some more proven options if they want to go on a deep playoff run. The first two weeks of the season notwithstanding, Derek Carr is only as good as his surroundings, and two wide receivers alone likely won’t be enough to power this organization past the elite NFC teams. Darius Slayton isn’t an elite player by any stretch of the imagination, but the trade target has what it takes to be the third option in an above-average passing attack. When combined with a talented defense, Slayton could help this team continue their season deep into January.
Main Photo: Vincent Carchietta – USA Today Sports
