Despite rumored trade interest, the Giants were not interested in dealing wide receiver Darius Slayton at the trade deadline, according to ESPN’s Jordan Raanan.
The 2-7 Giants were thought to be sellers at the deadline as they ponder the team’s future, especially at the quarterback position. Slayton is set to be a free agent after the season and New York has yet to explore an extension with their 2019 fifth-round pick, so a trade could have recouped some value for the Giants if they were planning to part ways in the offseason.
Not only has Slayton been extremely consistent in the NFL, with at least 45.0 yards per game in four of his five seasons, he is on pace for one of the best seasons of his career with 32 catches for 469 yards through nine games. While he doesn’t have the same pedigree as other receivers who were moved at the deadline like Amari Cooper and DeAndre Hopkins, Slayton was statistically outperforming both players even though all three were dealing with uneven quarterback play.
But rather than enter the active receiver trade market, the Giants held onto Slayton. It’s possible the team wants to keep him in New York past this season, but they may also be trying to field the most competitive team possible for the rest of the season. They declined to trade Saquon Barkley at the 2023 deadline for the same reason, per Raanan.
- The Giants also held firm on outside linebacker Azeez Ojulari, fielding calls but refusing to accept any offers below a mid-round pick, per Raanan. Other teams felt that New York was overvaluing the 2021 second-rounder, according to ESPN’s Dan Graziano. Ojulari ranks 13th in the NFL with 6.0 sacks this year but has benefitted from less attention and easier matchups while playing alongside Brian Burns and Dexter Lawrence.
- Big Blue’s only move on deadline day was to waive cornerback Nick McCloud after he refused to take a pay cut from his $3MM salary. New York was already hoping to reduce McCloud’s salary entering the season and intensified its demand for a pay cut after a Week 1 knee injury, per The Athletic’s Dan Duggan. Their final offer was a pay cut to the veteran minimum salary, which McCloud declined.
- The Cowboys surprised the NFL by sending a 2025 fourth-round pick to the Panthers in exchange for wide receiver Jonathan Mingo, the 39th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, plus a 2025 seventh-rounder. The move was considered an overpay, but the Cowboys saw additional value in Mingo’s remaining years on his rookie contract, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. He is under contract through 2026 for just over $4MM, but has yet to live up to his draft billing with just 2.3 receptions and 22.5 yards per game through 24 career appearances. Dallas, however, believes they can unlock Mingo’s potential and consider him more valuable than any potential fourth-rounder in the 2025 draft, according to Graziano.
Slayton has the same role on the Giants that Julian Edelman had with New England — the go-to WR to get the first down. It would’ve been poor optics for the Giants to trade Slayton while he’s in concussion protocol.
That’s never been Slayton’s role on the Giants. That was Sterling Shepard’s role and now it is technically Wan’Dale Robinson’s. Slayton is more of a downfield threat and in order to be the ‘Edelman role’ you need to be very sure-handed, which Slayton is not.
It seems fans will support the NFL regardless of how bad the optics get and the Giants have greater concerns to deal with anyway.