NY Giants’ Darius Slayton could be primed to cash in

Could Darius Slayton be on the verge of a massive payday from the NY Giants or another NFL team? 

The NY Giants’ receiving corps became far more explosive this offseason, and that might be good news for Darius Slayton … his wallet.

While Slayton‘s snaps could diminish if first-round pick Kadarius Toney proves capable of quickly developing into a dominant vertical threat on the outside, all of the attention paid to free agent newcomer Kadarius Toney, slot receiver Sterling Shepard and speedster John Ross, could open up big-play opportunities for the former fifth-round pick out of Auburn.

CBS Sports’ Tyler Sullivan lists Slayton as one of the NFC’s most underrated players, on the verge of a big payday:

"Current contract: Four years, $3.2 million (expires 2023)The G-Men may have paid Kenny Golladay and drafted Kadarius Toneybecause they don’t believe Slayton alone — or in tandem with Sterling Shepard — can headline the WR corps. But he still probably doesn’t get enough credit for his upside as a No. 2/3, having topped 700 yards and 15 yards per catch in each of his first two years."

How Darius Slayton can cash in for the NY Giants … or elsewhere

Entering his third NFL season, Slayton has already caught 98 passes for 1,491 yards and 11 touchdowns, including coming off a career-high 751 receiving yards in 2020.

While the NY Giants’ hefty financial commitment to Golladay and draft capital investment in Toney underscores the organization’s view that the receiver position needed a dramatic upgrade, and it might believe resources are better allocated elsewhere, in some ways Slayton controls his own financial destiny.

Likely a top-tier No. 3 or No. 4 wide receiver for most NFL teams, if Slayton approaches 1,000 receiving yards and over seven touchdowns in 2021, perhaps the NY Giants will ink him to the kind of deal Sullivan suggests. But, if Slayton puts up that kind of production, and the NY Giants don’t feel he is worth that kind of financial commitment, he could have a strong market among receiver needy teams who could push his value even higher.

Matt Lombardo is FanSided’s National NFL Insider and writes Between The Hash Marks each Wednesday. Email Matt: Matt.Lombardo@FanSided.com, Follow Matt on Twitter: @MattLombardoNFL