New York Giants: Joe Schoen answers question on Darius Slayton’s future with team

New York Giants, Darius Slayton
New York Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton (86) makes a touchdown catch with pressure from Washington Football Team cornerback Fabian Moreau (25) in the first half at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, Oct. 18, 2020, in East Rutherford. Nyg Vs Was

The New York Giants have 10 days until the start of the regular season against the Tennessee Titans in Week 1. They recently cut the roster to 53 men, putting in several waiver wire claims to bolster the secondary and add offensive line talent.

However, their salary cap situation is in trouble, considering they sit -$5.2 million below the cap. With that being the case, they have no choice but to restructure a few contracts, notably the bloated deal of Leonard Williams.

Williams is set to earn $19 million in base salary and will count $27.3 million against the camp this season. Next year, he will earn $18 million in base salary, counting $26.3 million against the cap, unless the Giants decide to part ways and save $18 million.

The Darius Slayton situation is interesting for the New York Giants:

Another way general manager Joe Schoen can open up salary space is by releasing or trading wide receiver Darius Slayton, who is set to earn $2.6 million this season. They would save $2.5 million by cutting him, which isn’t enough to get the team in positive conditions.

Parting ways with Slayton makes sense given his lackluster production in 2021 and issues catching the football. He tallied 339 yards and two touchdowns across 13 games in 2021, but he is a true and tried deep threat with limited route running capabilities. He has the speed to get behind defenses, which is an adequate capability.

The Giants are changing their offensive scheme, though, allocating more attention to getting their playmakers into space and letting them manufacture production. Deep route concepts likely won’t be the only way the Giants can score touchdowns in 2022, but rather steady grinding drives with better execution.

It is possible that management simply wants Slayton around, given his chemistry with Daniel Jones and the unreliability of the other playmakers on the team. It is fair to have an insurance policy for Kenny Golladay, Saquon Barkley, Kadarius Toney, and Sterling Shepard, four players who have missed significant time in the past.

However, if a team came calling with a decent deal in exchange for Slayton, Schoen will probably jump on it. In the meantime, Schoen expects to have him on the roster for Week 1 and featuring in a contributing role.