3 possible trade destinations for Darius Slayton as WR market heats up

With several wide receivers already on the move ahead of today's 4 p.m. ET deadline, it makes NY Giants fans wonder if veteran wideout Darius Slayton will be suiting up for a different team next Sunday. Slayton has been the subject of trade rumors since training camp, where he sat out of OTAs and several other team activities until Joe Schoen reconstructed his contract.

The 27-year-old is in his sixth season with the Giants since the organization drafted him in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL Draft out of Auburn. Slayton has been Big Blue's most consistent receiver as he has been the team's leading receiver in four of the last five years, but now the veteran is taking a backseat to emerging stars Malik Nabers and Wan'Dale Robinson.

While Slayton might not be the focal point of the Giants passing game anymore, he's still performing well with 32 receptions for 469 yards and a touchdown this year.

Slayton will become an unrestricted free agent following the season. Schoen and Brian Daboll will likely move on from him to give Nabers, Robinson, and Jalin Hyatt the opportunity as the team rebuilds. Plenty of teams looking to contend need another wide receiver and could call the G-Men about Slayton this afternoon.

That said, here are three potential trade destinations for Slayton:

3 trade destinations for Darius Slayton amid trade deadline frenzy

Pittsburgh Steelers

The team that makes the most sense for Slayton is the Pittsburgh Steelers. With Davante Adams, Diontae Johnson, DeAndre Hopkins, and Jonathan Mingo already being traded this deadline, Slayton is one of Pittsburgh's last realistic wide receiver targets. Pittsburgh has outperformed this season, even with two different quarterbacks, as they sit atop the AFC North at 6-2 through the last nine weeks.

Their current wide receiver core is George Pickens, Van Jefferson, and Calvin Austin III is solid but needs to be better to help the Steelers come playoff time. It should be interesting to see if Omar Khan picks up the phone.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Another team that could make a push for Darius Slayton is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who recently lost star wideouts Mike Evans and Chris Godwin to injuries. While Evans will likely return to the gridiron in 2024, Godwin is set to miss the remainder of the season.

With Tampa Bay in the mix for a playoff spot and sitting at 4-5 behind the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC South, they'll be looking for help on offense to help Baker Mayfield. The Buccaneers' receiver core consists of Jalen McMillan, Trey Palmer, and former Giant Sterling Shepard. The trade would provide Tampa Bay with a much-needed pass catcher and reunite Slayton and Shepard.

Houston Texans

The Houston Texans are another team that could explore a trade for Slayton. The Texans are dealing with various injuries at the wide receiver position. While Nico Collins is expected to come off the injured reserve list soon, star wideout Stefon Diggs will miss the remainder of the season with a knee injury.

The Texans are 6-3 through the last nine weeks and sit atop the AFC South, but they are still racing toward a playoff push. It couldn't hurt to give franchise quarterback CJ Stroud on offense, and Slayton could fill that void.

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