Packers DL Chris Slayton must carry momentum into make-or-break training camp

A big opportunity is available for Chris Slayton along the Packers defensive line entering training camp.

Every year, players vying for a roster spot stand out during training camp and the preseason. Sometimes those performances are enough to make the team. Other times, like in the case of defensive lineman Chris Slayton, they don’t quite get them over the hump.

Things could be different for Slayton this time around, considering Green Bay Packers GM Brian Gutekunst spoke highly of his play from the previous preseason on Tuesday.

“We’ve got some competition in that room,” Gutekunst said while discussing state of the defensive line. “Chris Slayton’s coming back too and did some nice things for us last year.”

After being claimed off waivers in May of 2022, Slayton showed promise as a pass rusher, logging five quarterback pressures in three preseason games. Unfortunately, the Packers couldn’t find a spot for him on the initial 53-man roster, so they cut him and signed him to the practice squad. He remained there for the entire regular season.

However, not ready to give up on Slayton, Green Bay brought him back on a reserve/futures contract. Now he will battle at a position much less crowded than a year ago. Veterans Jarran Reed and Dean Lowry are no longer around, as those jobs are expected to go to Devonte Wyatt and TJ Slaton. Still, that leaves plenty of snaps for rotational players.

Slayton will be in the mix for a backup role and compete against two rookies in Colby Wooden and Karl Brooks, as well as 2022 seventh-rounder Jonathan Ford. Gutekunst tends to favor his draft picks when deciding between players, but being singled out by the GM is a good sign for Slayton.

In the end, this could be a make-or-break training camp for Slayton, who has struggled to stick with multiple teams since entering the league as a seventh-round pick in 2019. If he can’t beat out two rookies and a fellow seventh-rounder for a spot on a young and inexperienced Packers defensive line, he might not get another opportunity.

Packers releasing CB Kiondre Thomas, DL Chris Slayton

The Packers released CB Kiondre Thomas and DL Chris Slayton, two unexpected standouts of the preseason.

Two unexpected standouts of the Green Bay Packers preseason will be released during final roster cuts on Tuesday.

According to Ryan Wood of PackersNews.com, the Packers are releasing defensive lineman Chris Slayton. And according to Matt Schneidman of The Athletic, the Packers are also releasing cornerback Kiondre Thomas.

Both players are considered to be strong practice squad candidates in Green Bay.

Slayton, previously a seventh-round pick of the Giants in 2019, produced 12 tackles, five total pressures and a team-high six stops, or tackles constituting a failure for the offense, per Pro Football Focus.

Depth along the defensive line made it tough on Slayton and Jack Heflin, who was also released. The Packers have five roster locks and may not want to keep six on the initial 53-man roster.

Thomas made a strong run at a roster spot at cornerback. He was strong in coverage, allowing just one catch on seven targets for eight yards over 65 coverage snaps, per PFF. He added two run stops and two special teams tackles.

Like the defensive line, the Packers probably have five roster locks at cornerback, complicating the path for Thomas. It’s possible Rico Gafford will make the team as the No. 6 option.

Getting Slayton and Thomas back on the practice squad would help bolster the depth at both spots. They will go on waivers but are likely to return if they go unclaimed.

Track all the Packers’ roster cuts on Tuesday here.

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Giants earn C in 2019 NFL draft re-grade

In a Bleacher Report re-grade of the 2019 NFL draft, the New York Giants earn just a “C.”

In yet another ‘re-draft’ of the 2019 NFL draft, the New York Giants don’t fare well as time passes. Maurice Moten of Bleacher Report gives them a ‘C’ grade in his latest loopback on one of the most critical drafts in recent Giants history.

General manger Dave Gettleman made several grave errors, selecting Duke quarterback Daniel Jones No. 6 overall and then traded back into the first round to take Georgia cornerback Deandre Baker, who washed out amid legal troubles.

The Jones pick can still be salvaged if he plays well this season and finally put the franchise’s mind at ease after three inconsistent years.

As a rookie, Jones showed flashes, throwing for 3,027 yards, 24 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, but his passing yards and touchdown totals have been on the decline thereafter. Though the athletic signal-caller has rushed for 1,000 yards and five touchdowns, he’s had some ball-security issues with 36 fumbles, losing 20 of them. The Giants declined to pick up the fifth-year option in rookie his deal.

The Giants waived Deandre Baker before the 2020 season as he faced robbery charges, but Florida prosecutors dropped those charges.

Third-round pick Oshane Ximines — the first player ever drafted out of Old Dominion – has also yet to establish himself.

Minnesota linebacker Ryan Connelly injured his knee right after becoming a starter and was later released. The sixth-round pick, Washburn cornerback Corey Ballentine, and the two seventh rounders (Syracuse defensive lineman Chris Slayton and Kentucky offensive tackle George Asafo-Adjei), all had very short Giants careers.

Gettleman did hit on a few of his picks, though. Clemson defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence — taken No. 17 overall with one of the picks the Giants received in the Odell Beckham Jr. trade — has become a reliable and steady presence and the team recently exercised his fifth year option.

Fourth rounder Julian Love, a safety from Notre Dame, has become a starter, and Auburn wideout Darius Slayton, selected in the fifth-round, has had some success.

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Packers claim DL Chris Slayton off waivers from 49ers

The Packers claimed 2019 seventh-round pick Chris Slayton off of waivers from the 49ers on Tuesday.

The Green Bay Packers added more depth to the defensive line by claiming Chris Slayton off of waivers from the San Francisco 49ers, according to the league’s transaction wire on Tuesday.

The Packers had an open roster spot after releasing kicker JJ Molson.

Slayton, 25, was a seventh-round pick of the New York Giants out of Syracuse in 2019. The Packers will be his sixth NFL team in four years but he’s yet to play in a regular-season game. He previously spent time on the practice squad of the Giants, Buffalo Bills, Atlanta Falcons, Pittsburgh Steelers and San Francisco 49ers.

Slayton stands 6-4 and weighs 307 pounds. At Syracuse, he tallied 32.5 tackles for losses and 9.5 sacks over 42 starts. He did 28 reps on the bench press at the NFL Scouting Combine.

Here’s Slayton’s Relative Athletic Score card, which highlights some of his quickness and lower-body power:

Slayton will join an impressive group of defensive linemen in Green Bay. The Packers are strong at the top with Kenny Clark and Dean Lowry, veteran pickup Jarran Reed and first-round pick Devonte Wyatt, plus 2021 fifth-round pick T.J. Slaton and 2022 seventh-round pick Jonathan Ford.

Slayton will have to pass a physical in Green Bay before officially joining the Packers roster. The addition would become official Wednesday.

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Falcons sign CB D.J. White, DT Chris Slayton to practice squad

The Atlanta Falcons added two players to their practice squad on Wednesday, signing former Georgia State CB D.J. White — a sixth-round pick in 2016 by the Chiefs — and DT Chris Slayton — a seventh-round pick by the Giants in 2019.

The Atlanta Falcons added two players to their practice squad on Wednesday, signing former Georgia State CB D.J. White — a sixth-round pick in 2016 by the Chiefs — and DT Chris Slayton — a seventh-round pick by the Giants in 2019.

Atlanta terminated the contracts of QB Kyle Lauletta, CB Tyler Hall and DT David Moa on Tuesday. The team has one more available spot on its 16-man practice squad.

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Patrick DiMarco released, 2 players added to Bills practice squad

Buffalo Bills roster transactions from Sept. 8, 2020.

The Buffalo Bills made a few late Tuesday roster transactions, one of which might signal the official end of Patrick DiMarco’s tenure with the team. The moves appeared on the NFL’s transaction wire.

Placed on the injured reserve list this past weekend when the Bills cut their roster down to 53 players via the NFL’s mandated deadline to do so, DiMarco has been released via injured settlement. Considering the circumstances, the move was expected and it might signal the end of his tenure with the club.

DiMarco can re-sign with the Bills once healthy, but he was entering the final year of his contract during the 2020 season. DiMarco missed most of training camp due to a neck injury. Undrafted rookie free agent Reggie Gilliam will assume fullback duties for the Bills, but will also lineup at tight end, according to Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott.

On the practice squad, the Bills released two players to make room for two the team previously had reported interest in. Wide receiver Jake Kumerow joins the Bills’ practice squad after he was previously cut by the Packers. He caught 20 passes for 322 yards and two touchdowns over the last two seasons, including career-highs in catches (12) and receiving yards (219) last year.

In addition, defensive tackle Chris Slayton, a 2019 product of Syracuse selected in the seventh round by the Giants, also joins the Bills practice squad. Slayton spent most of his rookie season on the Giants’ practice squad.

In corresponding moves for Kumerow and Slayton, the Bills released offensive lineman Brandon Walton and tight end Nate Becker.

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Giants roster outlook: Upgrades, downgrades or lateral moves on defense

Giants Wire examines the New York Giants defense and the changes made this offseason, offering a verdict on each unit.

The New York Giants went into the offseason knowing they had to make some changes on their 25th ranked defense.

General manager Dave Gettleman used his free agent money and seven of his 10 draft picks in an attempt to revamp and revive a group that simply allowed way too many easy scores to opponents in 2019.

Here is a quick rundown on each unit as training camp begins

Al Bello/Getty Images

Defensive line

Gained: Austin Johnson

Lost: Olsen Pierre

The Giants’ big move was made last October when they traded two draft choices to the Jets for Leonard Williams, an impending free agent. They could not come to an agreement this offseason, so they applied the franchise tag to retain Williams at a price of $16.1 million. He’ll be a starter along with Dalvin Tomlinson and Dexter Lawrence. B.J. Hill, R.J McIntosh and Chris Slayton are returning as well. Johnson will provide some veteran depth.

Verdict: Slight upgrade

2020 Giants training camp preview: Defensive line

The New York Giants don’t have many sound units entering the 2020 season, but their defensive line appears to be one.

The New York Giants embark on their 2020 training camp this week with a boatload of challenges in front of them. They have a brand new coaching staff and a bevy of new players that all need to get acclimated fast.

With no preseason games to play and opportunities in practice limited because of the COVID-19 restrictions, the Giants are behind the eight ball this summer.

One unit that is fairly solid is the defensive line. The Giants will bring eight linemen to camp and likely keep six. It still has not been determined what the base defense will be, but it’s likely to be a 3-4 based on the personnel on the roster.

Here’s quick rundown of the group which will be coached this year by Sean Spencer (aka “Coach Chaos”), who is coming over from Penn State.

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Leonard Williams

It seems like Williams has been in the NFL forever. The fact is, he just turned 26. Yes, he’s underachieved at times and is way overpaid, but after he came over from the Jets in that ill-advised trade last October, the Giants’ line played fairly well.

If Williams is going to play end however, he’s got to get the quarterback more than once per season. No matter what he does, anything short of a Pro Bowl-caliber performance this year will likely end his tenure with the Giants as he’ll be headed for free agency.