Tag: Darius Slayton

Giants’ Darius Slayton doesn’t anticipate a regime change

New York Giants WR Darius Slayton doesn’t anticipate a regime change this offseason: “Doesn’t feel like there’s going to be any changes.”

New York Giants veteran wide receiver Darius Slayton is watching the prime of his career slip away in another lost season. He could have been traded at the deadline this October but wasn’t since the Giants really didn’t have the desire to do so.

Instead, Slayton is wallowing away on a Giants team that is dead last in the NFL in scoring, has used four quarterbacks, and has difficulty moving the football through the air.

The 27-year-old Slayton is healthy and has made his share of plays this season, catching 37 of 65 targets for 520 yards and a touchdown, but he’s here mainly to supplement and tutor the team’s younger wideouts such as Malik Nabers, Wan’Dale Robinson and Jalin Hyatt.

Slayton will be a free agent after this season. It looks like he’d to stay with the Giants but one would have to ask why. His 2019 draft mate, quarterback Daniel Jones, is gone, leaving just him and Dexter Lawrence as the longest-tenured Giants.

On Sunday, the Giants were trounced by the Baltimore Ravens, 35-14, at MetLife Stadium. It was their ninth straight defeat, tying the franchise record, last equaled in 2019.

Slayton has seen losing in his six seasons with the Giants, but nothing like this. They have had only one winning season (2022) since he’s gotten here. Since the beginning of 2023, they have been a team in what appears to be an irreversible death spiral.

After Sunday’s game, he had the indignity of comparing the current steak to the one in 2019.

“I mean from a streak, losing, it’s somewhat similar, but I mean, very different team at that time but I would probably say that our roster then isn’t what it is now,” he said. “So, yeah.”

In 2021, the Giants lost their last seven games under head coach Joe Judge to finish out the season at 4-13. Slayton was around for that mess, too.

“2021 was its own beast; that was its own deal but yeah, I wouldn’t compare this year to that year,” he said. “We just had a lot of other stuff going on that year that we don’t have necessarily going on now. We’re just losing. That is the only real common denominator between the two.”

Slayton doesn’t think there will be wholesale changes this time like there were back in 2021 when Judge was fired.

“I don’t see it happening with this staff. It seems like everybody will be here,” he said in a clip that the team edited out of their public transcript. “It just doesn’t feel like there’s going to be any changes made, which is fine”

Not everyone thinks that way. This year also comes with a fan revolt with planes flying banners over the stadium past two games demanding changes.

“I have not seen either plane, either this week or last week,” Slayton said. “I mean, people got time and money, that’s how they choose to spend it, it on them.”

Fans expect better and Slayton has been around long enough to know that. He understands their pain because he’s feeling it, too.

“I mean, everybody’s entitled to their own opinion,” Slayton said. “I understand the fans’ perspective, the frustration and all that type of thing. At the end of the day, I think we have a talented roster, I think they’ve built a talented roster here and we just have to do a couple things a little bit better to get it back going in the right direction.”

Whether Slayton will be around when the Giants finally get going in the right direction remains to be seen. He can probably get more money elsewhere and not have to endure the losing he’s seen for the better part of six years now.

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Giants players mock ‘dumpster fire’ plane protest: ‘Wasted money’

Giants players dismissed and mocked Sunday’s fan protest at MetLife Stadium as “wasted money” and an irrelevance that won’t have an impact.

It was another somber locker room for the New York Giants on Sunday evening. They had just watched a potential game-tying field goal get blocked, securing a 14-11 victory for the New Orleans Saints.

It was the team’s eighth straight loss and their seventh at home this season.

Needless to say, the players weren’t exactly in a jubilant mood when reporters came with questions about the pregame protest in which a fan chartered a plane and flew a banner reading, “Mr. Mara, enough. (Please) fix this dumpster fire” around MetLife Stadium.

“I ain’t pay for no plane,” rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers said. “I ain’t got nothing to say.”

While Nabers skirted questions about the protest, other Giants players took the opportunity to mock the anonymous fan who ponied up for the plane.

“Shoot, just give me that money that they wasted,” Adoree’ Jackson told NJ Advance Media. “At 11:30, I don’t think anybody would’ve been on the field anyway. So save that money. And next time, tell them: Just give it to me. I’ll deliver the message — whatever they need. I can put a little extra money in my pocket.

“I don’t think nothing of it. Obviously, everybody has their own opinions, their own their reactions. And they may go to extreme lengths. But I don’t think it fazes us in general.”

Jackson went on to compare Giants fans to fans of the Tennessee Titans, where he spent the first four seasons of his career.

“Man, the first experience that I had with the fans (here) would be the craziest thing ever,” Jackson said. “They booed a player on the field and cheered when he came off the field. I thought that was pretty bizarre. Never really heard too much booing — actually, I never heard booing in Tennessee.”

New York is a notoriously tough place to play and Jackson feels like the fans can drag a player down. He pointed to Evan Engram and Sam Darnold as examples of players who found success once they left the toxicity of East Rutherford and the surrounding areas.

But Jackson wasn’t the only player put off by the plane protest. Wide receiver Darius Slayton, who was recently nominated for the 2024 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award, also viewed it as money wasted.

“People have money and time to do stuff like that. If that’s what they choose to do, that’s what they choose to do,” a visibly annoyed Slayton told reporters.

Linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux was a bit more playful in his response, telling the anonymous fan who carried out the protest to “come see me.”

Meanwhile, quarterback Drew Lock also dismissed the protest as an irrelevance.

“That’s going to pretty far lengths to try and take a message,” Lock said after the game. “In one ear, out the other. Not going to affect me tonight. Not going to affect me tomorrow.”

And so the disconnect between the organization, its players, and their fans — or the “customers” as the late Wellington Mara called them — continues to grow.

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Darius Slayton nominated for Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award

New York Giants WR Darius Slayton has been nominated for the 2024 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award.

New York Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton has been nominated for the 2024 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award.

Head coach Brian Daboll informed the team of Slayton’s honor on Monday with the official nomination being revealed on Thursday morning.

“It’s hard to even put into words,” Slayton said. “It’s not something that I saw coming at all. Even as a kid, you see all these things the players do, and you never know. Andrew Whitworth won (in 2021) and I remember he got up there and was telling a story about one of his last years in the league. He said a guy came up to him and (said), ‘I was one of those kids at the Boys and Girls Club and I made it big.’ To me, that’s the ultimate. There’s not really much you could do in your career, or anything, that would top that, having someone come up and say, ‘You inspired me and here I am.’ Even if it wasn’t the NFL, that would be the biggest accomplishment in the world.

“I think the award itself speaks to that. That’s why I think it’s a tremendous honor to be a part of it. I’m very grateful and humbled that I was selected.”

Running back Saquon Barkley, now with the Philadelphia Eagles, had been the Giants’ nominee in each of the previous two seasons. The team’s only winner is future Hall of Fame quarterback Eli Manning, who took home the honor alongside Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald in 2016.

Each nominee receives a $55,000 donation to a charity of their choice. The winner will receive a $265,000 donation via the NFL Foundation and Nationwide Foundation.

“Obviously, football is not forever,” Slayton said. “But as long as I am able, I will do my best to continue to do the things that we’ve done, and continue to find new things, new ways to help people, new people to help.

“As long as you’re able, you should help, you should give, you should try to help other people do better, those types of things. That will always be something that’s part of my life.”

Slayton is involved with many charities and community events, including the Left-Hand Right-Hand Foundation, which he founded in 2022.

Named after late Chicago Bears running back Walter Payton, the “award recognizes an NFL player for outstanding community service activities off the field as well as excellence on the field” and is considered the most prestigious in the NFL.

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Malik Nabers, among NFL leaders in dropped passes, just wants the ball

New York Giants rookie WR Malik Nabers is among the NFL leaders in dropped passes but continues to demand 10-plus targets per game.

The New York Giants are third in the NFL in dropped passes (26) this season, behind only the Cleveland Browns (31) and Green Bay Packers (28).

The Browns have resolved their issue by trading Amari Cooper to Buffalo at the trade deadline. He leads the league in drops with 11. Tight end David Njoku and wide receiver Jerry Jeudy have five drops apiece.

Two of the Packers’ young wideouts are in the top five — Dontayvion Wicks (8) and Jayden Reed (7). Romeo Doubs, another talented young wideout, has six drops.

That explains those two teams’ issues with drops. What’s the Giants’ deal?

Earlier this season, offensive coordinator Mike Kafka addressed the drops with the media.

“It’s a combination of things. It could be separation. It could be protection. It could be ball placement. It could just be lack of concentration,” he said. “So, there’s a bunch of things that go into it. Each play is just a little bit different. But we always go back to our fundamentals and how can we improve that in an individual drill, in a group setting, in a team drill, in a live drill, in a fast drill. So, we go through that process.”

Star rookie wideout Malik Nabers leads the team with seven drops, followed by another rookie, tight end Theo Johnson (5).

Nabers has told the media that drops aren’t a major concern of his, even though his fourth-down drop against Washington earlier this season virtually cost the team a probable victory.

“I don’t care about drops,” Nabers said after the Giants’ 27-20 loss to Dallas on Thanksgiving. “I mean, it’s just part of football. I don’t care if I drop the ball six times. Keep throwing me the ball.”

“I think it comes from the right place,” teammate Darius Slayton said this week of Nabers’ attitude towards drops.

And Slayton would know. Drops were a knock on him for a while around here, too.

“Obviously, at the same time, that is our job, is to catch the ball when it comes our way. So, he obviously knows he has to make some of these plays,” he said.

Slayton did his best to capture his young teammate’s demeanor and intentions. Nabers has been outspoken about his usage of late, questioning his coaches and airing his frustrations in the media.

Still, he has a job to do and Slayton took the high road chalking Nabers’ comments up to youth and inexperience.

“I think it comes from the right place. But, at the same time, you have to also do your best to not drop the ball, which obviously, I would know,” he said.

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Giants’ Darius Slayton has sage advice for rookie Malik Nabers

New York Giants WR Darius Slayton offered up some solid veteran advice for rookie WR Malik Nabers following his comments about drops.

Life has been very different for rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers since joining the New York Giants as the sixth overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft.

At LSU, Nabers experienced a culture of winning. Over his final two collegiate seasons, the Tigers posted a 20-7 record and won two bowl games, while spending 19 straight games ranked.

Now, 13 weeks into his NFL career, Nabers has known nothing but losing. The Giants are 2-10, eliminated from postseason contention, and face an offseason of uncertainty and potential change.

Nabers has struggled with the adjustment, at times making public comments that create a backlash. He’s had to sit down with general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll as a result and has also struggled on the field.

“It’s a culture shock,” Darius Slayton said of Nabers on Monday. “Definitely coming from the SEC, I understand. For him, you come from a big-time conference, a big time program like LSU and you’re used to winning, you’re used to going out there every Saturday and he was going up and down the field and having his way out there. That’s definitely not how this year’s went for our team.

“Obviously, we haven’t won a lot, but it was very similar for me my rookie year. I came from a very competitive program, and we won four games my rookie year. Hopefully we win more than that this year. But it’s just part of it. It’s something that he’ll, as he goes through it, he’ll learn how to navigate it.”

Navigating losses will never sit well with Nabers. He made that clear during a pre-draft interview with Daboll that was aired on HBO’s “Hard Knocks: Offseason with the New York Giants.”

“The main thing is, whenever the season does end, to having that as your first year, allow that to motivate you going forward in your career coming into the following years and not wanting it to remain the same and trying to do your best to change it going forward,” Slayton added.

For Nabers, that would include reducing his drop rate.

While the rookie doesn’t accept losing, he does accept contributing to losses. He recently revealed that he doesn’t care about dropping passes, suggesting it’s simply a part of his game.

Slayton feels Nabers simply didn’t articulate what he was attempting to say well enough, offering him some veteran advice in the process.

“I think it comes from the right place. I think it’s kind of the mentality you have to have, to some degree. If you do drop one, you can’t sit there and let one drop turn into five, because you’re so worried about dropping one,” he said. “You got to get back up there and go attack the ball with the same amount of aggression the second time around. So, I think it comes from the right place.

“At the same time, that is our job, is to catch the ball when it comes our way. So, he obviously knows he has to make some of these plays. But, at the end of the day, Malik has good hands. He’s obviously a first-round receiver and a top receiver in college because he can catch the ball. So, I think he has a ton of confidence. Obviously, that’s what that exudes when you make a statement like that. I think it comes from the right place. But, at the same time, you have to also do your best to not drop the ball, which obviously, I would know.”

Nabers will learn with time and maturation. But for now, Slayton’s advice will have to do: You can’t lament losses while also being okay with contributing to them.

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Kayvon Thibodeaux believes the Giants locker room is a meritocracy

New York Giants linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux admits the team needs leaders but says players who don’t produce shouldn’t have a voice.

With nose tackle Dexter Lawrence on injured reserve (IR) and likely out for the season, the New York Giants are down to just two team captains — linebacker Bobby Okereke and long-snapper Casey Kreiter.

Who steps up to lead over the final five weeks is anyone’s guess but edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux has some theories on how things will shake out.

Specifically, Thibodeaux says, people who don’t make plays need to button their lips and allow the productive players to speak instead.

“Well, if you ask me from a real standpoint, in my personal opinion, this is a not for long league. So, telling guys that you have to wait until after a certain amount of time to be a leader is kind of like, it’s smoke and mirrors because the average is only three years. So, it’s like how long do you expect a great player to come in and not say anything? That’s kind of not realistic,” he told reporters on Monday.

“Obviously, we hope that the speaking up and everything else is uplifting and for the greater good of the team. But for me, when I came in, I kind of faced the same questions as (Malik) Nabers did a couple weeks ago. But I’m a guy that believes this is a meritocracy. So, if you make plays, you have a voice. If you don’t make plays, you don’t have a voice. That’s the name of the business. So, I would say for young guys coming in, continue to make plays first, and then be an impact in leadership.”

So, will it be Thibodeaux who steps into the light as a locker room leader? It’s not something he’s given much consideration.

“I don’t think about it. I just continue to live in my light. And if there are people that I can help on a personal basis or if there’s a way, I can uplift my teammates, I try to do it,” he said.

Linebacker Micah McFadden subscribes to Thibodeaux’s theory of a locker room meritocracy, echoing his comments.

“There’s definitely a balance there. The more you produce, the bigger your voice is. Guys listen to the leaders and the people who are leading from the front and doing their job and executing at a high level,” McFadden said. “I think, especially these last couple of years with the more experience I’ve gotten and more play time, I think I have a bigger voice, especially in our linebacker room. And in the defensive room, as well. Just pointing things out and when there’s younger guys, I can help them along the way.”

But veteran wide receiver Darius Slayton sees things slightly differently, leaving the door open for anyone to come in and lead in the absence of the team’s top captains.

“We try to have the same mentality you do when you play. You have a ‘next man up’ mentality and obviously nobody is ineligible from leading. If you’re going to do the right thing and set the right example and encourage guys and bring guys along, then anybody can lead,” he said.

The Giants don’t seem to be on the same page about anything these days, but in the absence of Lawrence, left tackle Andrew Thomas, and the recently released Daniel Jones, they’ll have to come together and figure something out. They can’t go rudderless over the final five weeks of the season.

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Report: Finger-pointing, eroding trust have infected Giants’ locker room

Brian Daboll is reportedly blaming the defense (again) for the New York Giants’ struggles as trust continues to erode in the locker room.

Things have been getting uglier and uglier in East Rutherford since the airing of “Hard Knocks: Offseason with the New York Giants” this past July.

General manager Joe Schoen’s handling of running back Saquon Barkley has been widely criticized, and head coach Brian Daboll’s falling out with former defensive coordinator Wink Martindale and other assistants has left a stain on this regime.

Following the benching of quarterback Daniel Jones this week, the erosion has been kicked into high gear.

Defensive captain Dexter Lawrence publicly questioned the decision, while other anonymous players offered even harsher takes.

One player called DJ’s benching “trash” and “weak as (expletive).” Meanwhile, other reports surfaced suggesting that Schoen is not well-liked in the locker room.

With Jones now subjected to humiliating roles during practice, the locker room trust continues to evaporate, reports Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News.

There was no energy on the field at the start of the Giants’ practice on Wednesday.

“A little dead” is how one player described it afterwards.

The humiliating scene of Daniel Jones taking snaps as the No. 4 quarterback behind new signing Tim Boyle had everything to do with that. And it was just as much about the questions that Jones’ shutdown invited for the Giants’ players.

Wide receiver Darius Slayton joined Lawrence in speaking publicly and candidly about the ongoings in East Rutherford.

“I think ultimately anybody can respect and get behind any decision that’s made [when] you ask yourself the question, ‘Does this help us win? Yes or no?’ And the answer is yes,” Slayton said. “You can get behind any decision that is made as long as that answer is yes.

“When that answer starts being ‘I don’t know’ or ‘no,’ it doesn’t matter how you did or what you did, because at the end of the day, our job is to win. Nobody’s going out there risking their body to lose.”

Slayton stopped short of providing his own answer but the implication was obvious. He added that there were many reasons for the team’s eight losses beyond Jones.

Meanwhile, Leonard reports that a familiar theme is also playing out inside 1925 Giants Drive this year. Similar to last season, Daboll has apparently begun to place much of the blame on the defense, which is run under first-year defensive coordinator Shane Bowen.

It’s the same scenario that ultimately ran Martindale out of town.

Sources say Brian Daboll and the coaching staff, meanwhile, are ratcheting up pressure and frustration with the defense for giving up big plays — as if Daboll’s league-worst 15.6 points per game offense that just shut down its starting quarterback isn’t the root of the problem.

That blame game and discord sounds familiar to 2023, doesn’t it?

One anonymous player lamented that seven games remained this year, saying it’s like “a whole college season” left to play.

As many things change in East Rutherford, so many seem to stay the same.

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Giants injury report: Dexter Lawrence limited for second straight day

For the second straight day, New York Giants nose tackle Dexter Lawrence was limited in practice with a knee injury.

The New York Giants took the field on Thursday for their second of three practices ahead of a Week 12 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Beforehand, head coach Brian Daboll met with reporters and expressed optimism that edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux would be activated from injured reserve (IR) and play on Sunday.

“Encouraged,” Daboll said.

Even if Thibodeaux suits up on Sunday, defensive coordinator Shane Bowen said that fellow edge rusher Azeez Ojulari has earned the right to play, hinting at a rotational snap share.

Meanwhile, nose tackle Dexter Lawrence, who is usually given veteran rest days, was limited in practice for the second consecutive day.

The Giants’ full Thursday injury report can be found below:

Did not participate: None

Limited participant: WR Bryce Ford-Wheaton (Achilles), NT Dexter Lawrence (knee), LB Darius Muasau (hamstring), S Tyler Nubin (back)

Full participant: WR Darius Slayton (concussion), LB Matthew Adams (knee), TE Theo Johnson (back), CB Andru Phillips (hip), LB Kayvon Thibodeaux (wrist), OL Greg Van Roten (abdomen)

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Giants injury report: Kayvon Thibodeaux designated to return from IR

The New York Giants have designated edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux (wrist) to return from injured reserve (IR).

The New York Giants returned to the practice field on Wednesday afternoon in preparation for a Week 12 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Before heading out into the unseasonably warm temperatures, head coach Brian Daboll took the podium to speak with reporters.

The good news is that linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux has been designated to return from injured reserve (IR) and had his 21-day practice window open. But Daboll expects him to return long before that, even indicating that he could play this Sunday.

“We’ll open up Kayvon’s window, so he’ll start, optimistic that he’ll be ready to go,” Daboll said.

All other players were expected to practice on at least a limited basis.

The Giants’ full Wednesday injury report can be found below:

Did not participate: None

Limited participant: LB Matthew Adams (knee), WR Bryce Ford-Wheaton (Achilles), TE Theo Johnson (back), NT Dexter Lawrence (knee), LB Darius Muasau (hamstring), S Tyler Nubin (back), LB Kayvon Thibodeaux (wrist), OL Greg Van Roten (abdomen)

Full participant: WR Darius Slayton (concussion)

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Giants’ Darius Slayton clarifies viral ‘free man’ comment

New York Giants WR Darius Slayton caused a stir after commenting “a free man” on Nick McCloud’s Instagram page but it wasn’t as it appears.

Does anyone want to play for the New York Giants these days?

I’m sure there are a few, but based on just about every player who leaves — either by their own volition or the team’s — seems to believe they’re better off.

The Giants recently released cornerback Nick McCloud in a curious move that turned out to be cap-related. He was scooped up by the San Francisco 49ers this week and placed on their practice squad.

McCloud was a key contributor on defense and special teams but injuries have forced the Giants to shuffle their roster and McCloud, who was brought back this past offseason on a one-year, $2.985 million restricted free agent tender, became expendable as Big Blue was bumping up against the salary cap.

Like most players who have left the Giants, they feel as if they’ve been liberated. Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton commented on McCloud’s social media page, appearing to call him a “free man.”

There has been quite a bit of chatter this year regarding how general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll have handled personnel moves.

That has not gone unnoticed in the locker room. The losing hasn’t helped. The trade deadline came and went without the team making any moves, but it wasn’t from a lack of trying.

Still, Slayton’s comment wasn’t what it appears. While McCloud and others are, indeed, finding more success away from East Rutherford, it turns out the veteran receiver wasn’t offering a commentary on the state of the Giants.

And this is why onlookers shouldn’t be so quick to read into every comment.

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