As the trade deadline draws nearer, the Giants remain a team worth watching closely. Pending free agents on both sides of the ball have garnered considerable interest from potential buyers, and New York’s chances of moving on will of course be swayed in part by the team’s willingness to commit to new contracts. 
Wideout Darius Slayton and edge rusher Azeez Ojulari are firmly on the trade block at this point, which comes as little surprise given the Giants’ 2-6 record. The team could turn away interest if an extension were to be imminent on one or both fronts, but that does not appear to be the case. Dan Duggan of The Athletic reports no known negotiations have taken place with either player, something which no doubt would have transpired by now if the team had serious intentions of avoiding free agent departures.
Slayton remains one of several receivers who could be on the move despite the fact four WR trades (involving Davante Adams, Amari Cooper, DeAndre Hopkins and Diontae Johnson) have already taken place recently. The 27-year-old is no stranger to trade speculation, and one seemed highly possible this offseason. Instead, Slayton remained in place with the Giants, the only team he has played for in his career. Teams like the Steelers are known to be on the lookout for an addition at that position, and Pittsburgh has shown interest in Slayton, whose preference would be to remain in New York.
“For two or three years now, I’ve been a trade-deadline name, so I control what I can control and don’t worry about it much,” the Auburn product told Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post. “It’s somewhat of a good thing because if people are trading for you, you’re obviously doing something right. I obviously want to be here. The easy thing is to go to somebody who is 6-2 right now, but I have roots here and love my teammates here.”
In four of his first five seasons, Slayton led the Giants in receiving yards. This year, the former fifth-rounder has posted two 100-yard performances as part of a WR unit led by first-round rookie Malik Nabers. The Giants do not have many known commodities in terms of pass-catchers beyond that pairing, but with a base salary of just $2.5MM for the season Slayton would be an affordable rental for any number of teams. A change of scenery might not produce an uptick in targets to close out the year, but it could give Slayton a rare chance at postseason action.
New York is believed to have set a high asking price on Slayton, with the same being true of Ojulari. The latter is on the radar of teams likes the Bengals, with the Falcons and Cardinals also being in the mix. Duggan reported earlier this weekend that a fifth-round pick might be the most the Giants could land in a trade, an underwhelming return for a player on his way to surpassing his career high in sacks with six so far in eight contests.
The Giants already have Brian Burns on the books as one of the league’s highest-paid edge rushers, and Kayvon Thibodeaux could have a long-term pact in hand as early as this offseason. Affording a major raise for Ojulari coming off his rookie pact would be create a roster-building challenge at other, more pressing positions for New York. As a result, calls will no doubt continue coming in for the 24-year-old.
General manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll recently received a public vote of confidence from owner John Mara, although speculation continues with respect to their job security. How the team’s top decision-makers operate moving forward will be a major storyline, and that of course includes the handling of quarterback Daniel Jones. More immediately, the situations for Slayton and Ojulari will be key as well.
