The offseason drama, we thought, came to a close with NY Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton when he got back on the field for OTAs. Slayton had been away from the team due to his displeasure with his contract situation, but some added incentives brought him back to town.
However, it's not safe to assume that Slayton is going to end up playing the 2024 campaign with New York. Just ask CBS Sports' Cody Benjamin about that. Benjamin came out with a piece on post-June 1 cut and trade candidates and he included Slayton on his list as someone who could get shipped to a new city/team. Would this make sense for general manager Joe Schoen?
NY Giants WR Darius Slayton listed as a trade candidate by CBS Sports
"Skipping voluntary workouts in an apparent bid for a new contract, Slayton has quietly topped 700 receiving yards in four of five NFL seasons. But with first-round pick Malik Nabers onboard, he's also expendable. Cutting or trading him would save the Giants anywhere from $3.8 million to $6.4 million."CBS' Cody Benjamin
The wideout is a class act and the fact that he reported for part of the offseason voluntary program despite not landing a new deal shows that he's a true team player. With that said, the NFL is a business at the end of the day and Schoen could end up trading him after all.
Why would he do that? Well, it would not only create cap space, but with Slayton leading the team in receiving yards in four of the past five seasons, he could get a decent draft pick in exchange for him. With this being the last year of his contract too, the front office may want to get something in return for him before risking losing him next offseason in free agency.
After battling drop issues early on in his career, the veteran WR was quite reliable last season and was one of the few bright spots in a 6-11 campaign. Fans are thrilled to have him back and they're hopeful he can produce this fall and winter, but him being traded is something that still can't be ruled out.