As the New York Giants navigate a thin margin with the salary cap, a few moves may need to be made to free up some space.
While releasing tight end Darren Waller makes the most sense as it would save the Giants roughly $11.6 million in cap space, one NFL analyst believes a different receiving option may be on the chopping block.
Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports listed potential post-June 1 cut or trade candidates. On that list was wide receiver Darius Slayton.
The leading receiver for the Giants in four out of the last five seasons, Slayton has held the role of WR1 for the majority of Daniel Jones’ tenure as starting quarterback of the Giants.
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Benjamin believes Slayton is “expendable” because of the arrival of LSU star Malik Nabers, the team’s top pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. He also stated “cutting or trading him would save the Giants anywhere from $3.8 million to $6.4 million.”
In theory, the move would save the Giants some space against the salary cap. But it wouldn’t be worth it. The Giants need offensive weapons more than they need a few extra million in cap space.
Slayton is a viable option to have as the No. 2 opposite Nabers. He’s always drawn top coverage considering the lack of talent the Giants have had in the receiver room so it will be interesting to see what happens when opposing defenses are forced to focus more on Nabers.
Slayton also ended his contract dispute with the team after getting more incentives so there won’t be any concern about his availability.
There are a few ways the Giants can go about creating cap space but unless they get an offer they can’t refuse for Slayton, it would be wise to keep him around.
For more Giants coverage, check out Kevin Hickey’s work on Sporting News.