The New York Giants have a loaded wide receiver corps, which was bolstered even further when Sterling Shepard finally returned to practice last week.
But with a new regime, a new offense, and a lot of young players getting shine during the preseason, some vested veterans may be on a roster bubble they never expected to be – and one of those could be Darius Slayton,
“I don't know what to expect,” Slayton said after Sunday’s preseason finale. “Every year, it's kind of like my fourth time doing this, but I don’t really stress about it too much. At the end of the day, if it's meant for me to be here, I'll be here. If it's not, I won't.”
Slayton said “I don’t think surprised is the word” when asked if that would be his emotion if he is waived by 4 p.m. Tuesday. He didn’t elaborate on what that word would be, although he understands that as a player in the final year of his rookie deal, he’s getting his first taste of the business side of the NFL.
“I feel like other guys can pass if they're going into contract years or their fourth years. I feel like I kind of had a little bit of an example, I guess,” he said. “That wasn't the word I was looking for but sure. An example of kind of what it's like and how to deal with it. We'll see what happens.”
Slayton was a fifth-round pick in 2019, and he’s scheduled to make $2.54 million this year, but would carry a dead cap hit of just under $60K if he is released.
That is a possibility given that, after scoring eight touchdowns as a rookie and then posting 50 catches for 751 yards and three touchdowns as a starter in 2020, Slayton had a disappointing 2021 plagued by injuries, and he posted a disappointing 26-339-2 line.
He also has been dealing with a “tweaked” hamstring this summer, which kept him off the field at times, so he didn’t get to make as much of an impact for the new coaching staff as he wanted.
“Nothing major, just one of those things when speed is your thing and it's pretty important to run fast, it's a little frustrating to deal with,” he said. “But I definitely think throughout camp I made plays, for sure.
I think I showed up in some spots, showed some flashes and hopefully, it was enough.”
And part of that was head coach Brian Daboll giving starters and veterans limited reps, although Slayton is hopeful that intentional move won’t count against him.
“I wasn’t surprised, mostly because our room is so competitive. So much talent in there from top to bottom,” he said. “I think it's in all of our best interests to be out there as much as possible and try to put our best foot forward.”
The Giants cut receivers Travis Toivonen and Keelan Doss on Monday, so Slayton is one of 10 receivers left on the roster with about 28 hours to go before the cut deadline.
Follow Lou DiPietro on Twitter: @LouDiPietroWFAN
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