The anticipation for Week 1 of the regular season continues to rise for the NY Giants, especially with late July right around the corner. Plenty of big names will be ready to make a splash during training camp, and then shift their focus to the first preseason game of the year on Aug. 11 against the New England Patriots.
Will Darius Slayton not only suit up vs. the Pats, but for the other preseason showdowns too? For now, it’s looking like that will be the case, but his future with the organization really feels like it’s on thin ice. In a new piece for Bleacher Report, Alex Ballentine discussed veterans who are on the roster bubble entering camp, with Slayton of course mentioned. From our chair, the decision should be easy for general manager Joe Schoen.
NY Giants shouldn’t think twice about cutting Darius Slayton
"“He was one of the most inefficient receivers in the league with catch rate of just 44.8 percent, drop rate of 10.3 percent and a miserable quarterback rating of 53.7 when targeted,” Ballentine said of Slayton. “In short, he was more harmful to Daniel Jones than helpful. This season (Kadarius) Toney will have a fresh start with a new coaching staff, Sterling Shepard comes back healthy and they drafted Wan’Dale Robinson in the second round. The Giants would save $2.5 million by releasing Slayton. Given the depth they have at the position now, it’s hard to keep him around if he doesn’t make an immediate impression in camp.”"
Those are all great points by Ballentine. What’s important to remember here too is that the Giants are still in desperate need of a veteran cornerback to be added to the roster before the showdown with the Titans arrives. A guy like Joe Haden is still ready to be inked, while fans would certainly love Schoen going after former Packers second-round pick Kevin King as well.
The Giants would be wise to cut Slayton and use the money they’d be saving there to go after a cornerback. The Giants were trying to trade Slayton earlier this offseason too, but nothing was able to get done. Replacing him on the roster with a CB makes loads of sense and it’s something Schoen needs to make happen.
When fully healthy, the Giants wide receivers room has plenty of depth. Toney, Kenny Golladay, Sterling Shepard and rookie second-round pick Wan’Dale Robinson will be making plays left and right for Daniel Jones. Removing Slayton from the mix of things won’t be bad news for this team. Not adding a CB to help this young group out on the other than would be unacceptable.