The New York Giants are expected to lose wide receiver Darius Slayton in NFL free agency.
Following the NFL Combine, ESPN insider Jeremy Fowler reported that Slayton has been “getting buzz” around the league. And New York Daily News beat writer Pat Leonard echoed that sentiment on March 3, relaying that Slayton is in search of playing more competitive football with a proven winner in 2025.
“Multiple sources expect that Slayton’s search for [meaningful football], unsurprisingly, will bring his time with the Giants to an end,” he stated. Adding: “Slayton’s consistent production, speed and deep-threat ability are generating ‘a lot of interest’ in him within a unique receiver free agent class this season, he said.”
So, if Slayton is on his way out of town, how will the Giants replace his production?
“The Giants, believed to be priced out of Slayton based on their desired spending for wide receiver No. 2, have checked on wideouts like [Los Angeles] Chargers receiver Joshua Palmer as potential replacements, a source said,” Leonard reported.
The NYDN media member also noted that “teams such as the L.A. Chargers, the Carolina Panthers and Pittsburgh Steelers, meanwhile, are among those viewed as likely Slayton suitors.” Continuing: “The Steelers already tried to trade for him last spring before Slayton returned to New York for a sixth season.”
Potential Giants Free Agency Target Joshua Palmer Is a Former Third-Round Talent With Over 2,200 Career Receiving Yards
If Palmer ends up being the eventual Slayton replacement, there shouldn’t be too much of a drop off in terms of talent.
The former third-round selection of the Chargers has played his entire career (four seasons) in Los Angeles, appearing in 58 games and accumulating exactly 2,287 regular season receiving yards and 10 touchdowns. Palmer’s lone playoff outing added a couple of catches for 31 yards.
Palmer dealt with injuries in 2023 following a career year in 2022 (72 receptions for 769 yards and 3 TDs), but his career numbers of 39.4 receiving yards per game and 12.6 yards per catch are not far behind Slayton’s (42.4 YPG and 15.0 YPR).
At age 25, Palmer is also younger than Slayton (28), and he might still have some room to grow while seemingly being more affordable.
Darius Slayton Gets Brutally Honest With Giants Ahead of NFL Free Agency
Within the same NY Daily News article, Leonard transcribed quotes from his podcast, “The Talkin’ Ball with Pat Leonard podcast,” in which he interviewed Slayton directly. And the veteran wideout had some brutally honest comments for Big Blue.
“Definitely, winning and being in an advantageous situation are probably two things that are really important for me right now,” Slayton told Leonard candidly ahead of free agency.
“Obviously, five out of my six years with the Giants we weren’t competitive,” he explained. “We didn’t make the playoffs. We weren’t really close to making the playoffs.”
“And one thing I’ve learned in my career is … You play with guys that have [the attitude of] — ‘If I go off and I get paid, I sleep great at night,’” Slayton admitted. “And I have learned over my career that I do want to go off and I do want to get paid. But it weighs on me so heavy just losing. Every. Single. Week. I can’t take [it].”
The former NYG draft pick concluded that “there’s no money that’s gonna make me just go home and be like — I’m obviously gonna be a little more happy in my Hellcat than in a Camry — but like my spirit, the core of me cannot take that.”
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Giants Could Replace Darius Slayton With Former Third-Round WR: Report appeared first on Heavy Sports.