The New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy dropped a fascinating line in his roster-cuts column this weekend. The Giants may entertain trade offers for wide receiver Darius Slayton before Week 1.
That makes sense on the surface. Malik Nabers is the No. 1 receiver. Wan’Dale Robinson owns the slot. Jalin Hyatt is the vertical option. Odell Beckham Jr. just made the roster. That is four receivers for three primary jobs, and Slayton is the one whose contract makes him movable.
Slayton signed a three-year deal in the spring. He has $6 million left on the 2026 salary. A trade sends him to a receiver-hungry team, gives the Giants cap flexibility, and opens a roster spot for a rotational tight end or a defensive back.
Where does Slayton fit? Multiple teams need help at receiver right now. The Chargers lost a starter to a season-ending injury. The Steelers have been thin at the position since spring. The Ravens are still figuring out their WR2 situation. The Bears would take him in a heartbeat as insurance behind their top two.
The compensation is the question. Slayton has been a productive Giant. He has caught 40 or more passes in each of the past five seasons. He is a legitimate NFL starter. That does not mean he is a first-round pick in a trade. It means he is a fourth or fifth-round conversation, maybe a conditional third-rounder if a contender bids up.
The Giants would want a Day 3 pick. A team looking to add reliable production would want to send a Day 3 pick. The math is not complicated. Both sides can meet at a mid-fourth or a fifth.
The Slayton camp knows this too. He has been a professional through the whole preseason cycle. He has not asked for a trade. He has not made public complaints. He has practiced hard and been ready to contribute. But he also knows that being the fourth receiver on a team with Beckham and Nabers is not a great long-term arrangement.
Beckham making the roster changes the calculus. If OBJ was cut, Slayton stays and plays 45 snaps a game. Now Beckham eats those snaps for the veteran presence, and Slayton is competing with a Hall of Fame ghost of himself for playing time.
The Giants brass has to make the call this week. Once the season starts, the trade market thins out. Contenders make deals now to lock in their roster before injuries and standings force emergency moves in November.
My bet is that Slayton is on a new team by Tuesday night. The Chargers, Steelers, and Ravens are all reasonable landing spots. The Giants take a mid-round pick and use the money to bolster a defensive backfield that has been hit hard by injuries.
Slayton deserves a landing spot where he can play meaningful snaps. He is 29, still fast, and still a reliable target. There is a real second act available. The Giants can help make it happen, and both sides win.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
