Tag: Darius Slayton

4 Giants players who could lose their job to rookies in 2023

There are four veteran players on the New York Giants’ roster who could lose their jobs to rookies in 2023.

The New York Giants are a young team that is just getting younger. They do have some veterans they still rely on to get the job done but it’s only a matter of time before those vets are moved out in favor of some younger players.

Here are four veterans (or non-rookies) who could be challenged this season by rookies on the depth chart.

Darius Slayton savagely trolls Cardinals after they poke fun at Daniel Jones

New York Giants WR Darius Slayton warned that Daniel Jones slander would not be tolerated and the Arizona Cardinals didn’t listen.

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The Arizona Cardinals released their 2023 regular season schedule on Thursday night and did so in a unique way. They compared each of their opponents to an unflattering or ironic song.

For the New York Giants and quarterback Daniel Jones, that song was “Trip” by Ella Mai.

The comparison was actually quite amusing but it did rub some the wrong way. Among those was Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton, who had previously warned that Jones slander will no longer be tolerated.

In response to the Cardinals’ jab, Slayton went nuclear and turned their own game against them.

Fatality.

The Cardinals, of course, are one of 12 NFL teams that have never won the Super Bowl. They have just one appearance in The Big Game over the course of their history — a heartbreaking 27-23 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2009.

Following the reaction to Slayton’s savage burn, he was quick to remind people about the rules.

The Giants and Cardinals will square off in Week 2 of the upcoming season at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona which is, ironically, the sight of the biggest win in Giants franchise history (Super Bowl XLII over the not-so-perfect New England Patriots).

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Joining Giants will have positive fantasy impact on Darren Waller

ESPN projects big fantasy numbers for tight end Darren Waller now that he’s joined the New York Giants.

The New York Giants made a big splash when they acquired tight end Darren Waller from the Las Vegas Raiders. If healthy, the Giants will get one of the league’s best tight ends, giving Daniel Jones a premier passing target.

ESPN listed their ’30 most important players in fantasy football who changed teams or re-signed during the offseason.’ Waller is projected to improve his stock with his move to Big Blue.

Darren Waller traded to Giants
Fantasy impact: Positive

This supremely talented tight end moves to an offense in desperate need of playmakers. Waller might return to 90-plus receptions and 1,000-plus receiving yards, even with Daniel Jones at QB. Waller is that good and the rest of the Giants — none of whom hit 60 catches or 750 receiving yards last season — do not stand out. Waller just needs to stay healthy, which should be the bigger concern. Still, he can be a top-five TE — even in this offense.

If the Giants get anything close to the player Waller was in 2019 and 2020, it will drastically change and improve their offense.

Waller will join an arsenal of weapons that includes Parris Campbell, Isaiah Hodgins, Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton, who was also named on ESPN’s list.

Darius Slayton re-signs with Giants
Fantasy impact: Neutral

New York’s receiving yards leader (with only 724) returns and, while Slayton has yet to catch more than 50 passes in any of his four NFL seasons and he has scored only seven touchdowns over the past three campaigns, perhaps the best is yet to come. The Giants have added TE Darren Waller, but that may actually help the team’s wide receivers. Slayton will compete with Isaiah Hodgins and Parris Campbell for targets.

Former Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. also made the list following his deal with the Baltimore Ravens — a contract that was too rich for the Giants’ blood.

Talent-wise, Waller is joining a similar quarterback/running back combination that he had with the Raiders. However, the effect of Mike Kafka running the offense could be the X-factor in getting the most out of Waller.

The Giants are excited to experiment with their new tight end within their offense.

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Darius Slayton chose to re-sign with Giants over other teams

Darius Slayton had other options in free agency but ultimately decided to return to the New York Giants.

The wide receiver market did not develop early in free agency as many anticipated, which left Darius Slayton in an underwhelming position.

Despite that, several teams did come calling and he had a few options on the table. But after the New York Giants re-signed quarterback Daniel Jones to a long-term deal, that decision was made for him — even if it meant taking less to return.

“We had multiple teams that were interested. This is really a pretty weird free agency year. Teams really weren’t just throwing around money kind of like in other years. But we had a few teams that were interested that I probably could’ve went with,” Slayton told reporters on Monday. “Ultimately the Giants, when they got DJ back — obviously because the quarterback is a pretty big piece of being a receiver.

“But just the familiarity here, with Dabs (head coach Brian Daboll) and Kaf (offensive coordinator Mike Kafka) and (general manager) Joe (Schoen) are building here and some of the guys they acquired, I just felt like this would be the best place for me to go. And obviously, I’m comfortable. I enjoy being here. I enjoy the people here. So, it was easy to come back.”

Slayton also reflected on the 2022 season and specifically, how things started. He was in the doghouse early on and it took a rebound to get back on track.

The situation could have spiraled but Slayton remained professional. And in the end, he says he has no one to blame but himself.

“I tend to point the thumb and not the finger and look at what I can do better — what have I done to put myself in whatever situation? And sometimes in life, you can do everything you’re supposed to do, and you end up getting screwed over. But I’d be lying if I said I didn’t somewhat contribute to my situation last year,” Slayton said. “And at the end of the day, I have to take responsibility for that and do better.”

Slayton believes that a hamstring early on is what derailed him and he’s intent on avoiding that same situation in the future.

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Giants’ Darius Slayton: Daniel Jones slander will not be tolerated

New York Giants WR Darius Slayton was elated that Daniel Jones landed a big contract and reminded everyone DJ slander will not be tolerated.

The New York Giants recently re-signed their second-longest-tenured wide receiver, Darius Slayton.

The Auburn product is returning to East Rutherford for two more seasons after four consistent years with the organization. Slayton signed a two-year deal worth $12 million with $4.9 million guaranteed.

This was a modest deal in a very thin receiver market but Slayton will receive a significant pay increase from his previous rookie contract where he earned approximately $2.8 million over four years.

Under this rookie deal, Slayton drastically outperformed his fifth-round draft position. He recorded three seasons with 700-plus receiving yards, showing great consistency. He finished with 170 receptions, 2554 receiving yards, and 15 receiving touchdowns over that four-year span.

Slayton became Daniel Jones’ go-to receiver and formed a great bond with the franchise quarterback that led to him re-signing with Big Blue instead of various other teams that need a second or third receiving option.

And seeing Jones re-sign for a massive payday? It brought a smile to Slayton’s face.

“I might’ve been happier for his deal than my own deal, honestly. Just because I’ve been here for everything that it’s taken for him to get here and kind of seen the way that people viewed him before and the way they view him now,” Slayton told reporters on Monday.

Slayton has always been a public supporter of Jones and that’s not going to change.

“Anybody who follows me on Twitter knows Daniel Jones slander is not being tolerated on my timeline. That’ll be that way probably until the day I die,” he said. “So, I’m extremely happy for him. And I’m just glad he was able to get his deal.”

Those on Twitter should take note.

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Giants to re-sign WR Darius Slayton

The New York Giants have agreed to terms with wide receiver Darius Slayton, who will return after a rebound season.

The New York Giants continued to fortify their offensive arsenal on Thursday, agreeing to re-sign wide receiver Darius Slayton to a two-year deal.

The Giants have obviously forgiven Slayton for his blatant drop in the playoffs last year, focusing more on the positives that he brings. Slayton has been the Giants’ leading receiver in three of the past four seasons.

Last year, Slayton racked up 724 yards on 46 receptions (15.7 yards per catch) in just 11 starts.

Slayton, a fifth-round draft pick out of Auburn back in 2019, has forged a synergy with quarterback Daniel Jones, who is now the face of the franchise.

From NBC Sports Edge:

This is quite a reversal from a Giants braintrust that demanded Slayton take a paycut to stay on the roster before 2022. Slayton bounced back after he was entrusted with a real role, and the Giants appeared to change their tune on him as well early in free agency. There’s now a ton of competition at the wideout spot for the Giants between Parris Campbell, Slayton, Isaiah Hodgins, Wan’Dale Robinson (pending injury return), and Sterling Shepard (also pending injury return). It’s going to be hard to understand who to trust, but a two-year contract for Slayton would seem to point to him being someone the Giants want to start.

The Giants suddenly have a logjam in their wide receiver room but no clear No. 1. That could still come should they decide to sign — or trade for — a top veteran wideout or select one early on the NFL draft.

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Report: Darius Slayton drawing interest from Giants, Falcons

The New York Giants and Atlanta Falcons are interested in WR Darius Slayton, with both teams reportedly having made an offer.

The New York Giants would like to bring wide receiver Darius Slayton back into the fold but they are facing some competition.

Art Stapleton of USA TODAY reports that the Giants have an offer in to Slayton but another team is hovering — quite possibly the Atlanta Falcons.

That seems to be confirmed by Kevin Knight of The Falcoholic, who says Atlanta has, in fact, made an offer of their own.

The wide receiver market has been slow to develop since the NFL’s legal tampering window opened on Monday with many of the top players earning lower-than-expected deals.

The 26-year-old Slayton is coming off an up-and-down season that saw him begin the year buried on the depth chart before eventually recovering his starting role. He closed things out having hauled in 46 receptions for 724 yards and two touchdowns.

Slayton’s 724 receiving yards led the team.

However, Slayton also had five drops during the regular season, which has been a lingering concern since he came out of college. He also had a key drop in the Giants’ wildcard victory over the Minnesota Vikings that nearly proved costly.

Despite the drop issues, Slayton is statistically the most productive available receiver under the age of 30.

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6 options to round out Saints WR room after Michael Thomas returns

Even with Michael Thomas returning in 2023, the #Saints could look to add another WR this offseason. Here are 6 options that could serve various roles, via @RossJacksonNOLA:

Now that the New Orleans Saints have retained All-Pro wide receiver Michael Thomas, some may assume the work is done with the team’s group of pass-catches. Young wideouts Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed has fantastic rookie campaigns in 2022, the team brings back one of the league’s most dominant pass-catchers in Thomas and re-signed ascending tight end Juwan Johnson to a two-year deal However, there is still work to be done, particularly in the wide receiver room.

While Thomas is undoubtedly dominant, health and availability concerns linger. And not just for Thomas, but for the Saints as a whole who have been riddled with injuries over the last few seasons. Shoring up the position with another option would be a smart choice by the organization. We highlighted earlier in the week that Las Vegas Raiders slot receiver Hunter Renfrow would make a ton of sense as a trade target, but the Saints could also look to free agency and the NFL draft if that deal can’t be struck in time.

The mold of Renfrow would be that of a slot receiver, which could be on benefit for New Orleans. The have serious talent on the perimeter and adding a weapon that can attack from the inside in rotation with their versatile pieces could give defenses fits. Here are six players, three free agents and three draft prospects, who could fit that mold.

Should Giants bring back WR Darius Slayton?

Should the New York Giants re-sign Darius Slayton, who is one of the most productive free agent receivers under the age of 30?

Can the New York Giants put Darius Slayton’s drops behind them and re-sign him in free agency next week?

That’s a good question. The Giants just inked quarterback Daniel Jones to a four-year contract and through their four years together have developed a solid rapport.

Slayton’s career began with a bang, leading the team with eight touchdowns as a rookie in 2019, and showing a lot of synergy with fellow rookie Jones.

But over the next three seasons, he has not taken that next step and dropped passes and inconsistency have dogged him. Many fans remember Slayton’s key drop in the Wild Card game against Minnesota last season. It was just the latest in a frustratingly long line of drops by Slayton.

The fact that he had four receptions for 88 yards in the game were washed over by the drop but the Giants’ victory pushed his issues to the back burner.

As free agency descends upon us, Slayton’s agent sent out a reminder that his client is still a top player that is worthy of many teams’ attention.

In the Giants’ year-end review, they reminded us of how valuable Slayton was once he was re-inserted into the lineup.

After entering the starting lineup in Week 6 of the 2022 season, WR Darius Slayton was one of the Giants’ top receivers. Slayton’s regular-season totals include 46 receptions for a team-high 724 yards (15.7 avg.) and two touchdowns. Thirty of his receptions (65.2 pct.) resulted in a first down, while eight went for 25 or more yards. Among wide receivers in the NFC with at least 45 receptions, Slayton’s 65.2 first down percentage ranked ninth.

The drops will surely give teams some apprehension but that is part of the game and certainly correctible. Slayton had five drops last year but did not lead the Giants in that category. Saquon Barkley did (6).

And he was far from the league lead of seven, which belonged to the Cincinnati Bengals’ All-World wideout Ja’Marr Chase, Buffalo’s Gabe Davis, and Jacksonville’s Zay Jones.

Other top names who had as many — or more — drops than Slayton last year: Travis Kelce, Austin Ekeler, Jaylen Waddle, Tee Higgins, Amari Cooper, Stefan Diggs, Mike Evans, D.K. Metcalf, and Tyreek Hill.

If the Giants have a short memory, they could be considering bringing Slayton back. We’ll know for sure come next week.

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Giants’ Darius Slayton had the dumbest comeback to Bears’ Jaquan Brisker trashing Daniel Jones

This was the worst way to defend Jones’ honor.

It’s been a contentious place for quarterback discussion over the past few days. (Which, we should probably blame the Ravens.)

After it was reported that several teams were bowing out of a pursuit of the non-exclusively tagged Lamar Jackson, many NFL players sounded off. One of them was Chicago Bears safety, Jaquan Brisker. A standout rookie with Chicago in 2022, Brisker has already turned himself into one of pro football’s better defenders.

When folks piled on the news that Jackson would be getting tagged on Twitter, Brisker jumped into the fray. And when he laughed about an MVP having to deal with such treatment, Brisker took a comparing shot at Daniel Jones, who just got overpaid by the New York Giants.

Brisker called Jones “trash.”

To be fair to Brisker, he’s probably not wrong! Jones showed signs of legitimate progress in 2022, but that doesn’t change the overall mediocrity he’s shown in his four-year career. Even while it’s considerably less money than what Jackson is asking for, Jones getting handsomely paid before a player with an MVP Award in his trophy case boggles the mind.

In response to Brisker’s ripping of Jones, Darius Slayton had a comeback the following day. Was it something about how Jones is actually an elite QB who is misunderstood? Was it a relevant statistic or anecdote the football world is overlooking in its evaluation of him? What it anything pertinent to the discussion about Jones being merely above-average at best?

No, no, and no.

Slayton shared a screenshot of the final score from the Giants’ 20-12 win over the Bears last season. A game where Jones completed a whopping eight passes for 71 yards while running for 68 yards and two touchdowns before leaving early. A matchup the Giants literally had to finish with running back Saquon Barkley taking signal-calling snaps.

And please note that Slayton — a pending unrestricted free agent — didn’t even respond to Brisker directly.

Hmm, I wonder why!

The Bears and Giants aren’t scheduled to meet during the 2023 season, which is a bummer. It would’ve been a lot of fun to potentially see Brisker, Slayton, and even Jones settle their differences.

That said: Slayton’s comeback to defend Jones’ honor was still really dumb.