Depending on how the New York Giants approach final cuts, we may have officially entered the final days of the Darius Slayton era.
The 29-year-old Slayton has been floated as a potential trade or cut candidate in recent weeks, especially with June signee Braxton Berrios likely to make the roster given his special teams expertise. What that would mean for the Giants’ longest-tenured receiver remains unclear, and questions are also mounting about fellow wideout Darnell Mooney.
At least one Giants insider has an idea, and The Athletic’s Dan Duggan proposed an interesting scenario on Tuesday. Assuming that Berrios makes the roster, the ex-Miami Hurricanes standout would almost certainly be active each week.
“So that could mean whoever is lower in the pecking order between Slayton/Mooney could be a healthy scratch,” Duggan wrote on X/Twitter.
The New York Giants should trade Darius Slayton rather than keep him as an emergency option
Duggan is among the most respected and tuned-in Giants beat reporters, meaning that his ideas and analysis aren’t the result of throwing darts at a wall. In fact, Duggan was among the earliest Giants media members to cast doubt on Mooney playing a significant role despite his familiarity with offensive coordinator Matt Nagy.
Duggan’s X/Twitter post came hours before receiver Calvin Austin III went down with a knee injury. The Giants had not announced further information about the situation as of publication.
For the sake of conversation, let’s assume that Berrios, Malik Nabers, and Malachi Fields all make the Week 1 roster. Austin’s injury only increases the odds that one of Slayton or Beckham, if not both, will join them.
Slayton has a $15 million cap hit, which theoretically would give him the advantage over Mooney. If the Giants are stuck with Slayton, regularly designating him as a healthy scratch feels like a waste of a roster spot.
Monday’s Kayshon Boutte trade should have turned heads among Giants fans because the Patriots received only a backup safety and a 2028 late-round pick. That doesn’t bode especially well for whatever Slayton, Mooney, or even Jalin Hyatt would fetch.
Teams must submit their initial 53-man roster by Sunday night, meaning we may see a rash of trades this weekend. We’ve previously suggested the Giants target Browns receiver Cedric Tillman if Cleveland makes him available; the 2023 third-round pick returned to practice from an undisclosed injury on Monday and caught a touchdown pass from Shedeur Sanders.
As of Tuesday afternoon, the Giants had not confirmed how much Slayton and Mooney are expected to play against the Jets. Mooney was not with the team last weekend after receiving permission to attend his brother’s wedding. Slayton had four catches and a game-high 58 yards in the win over Miami.
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