It was not an exorbitant amount of money to pay to a young veteran wide receiver, but it was too much for the Giants to pay Darius Slayton, given his bottom-of-the-depth-chart standing on the roster. And so, the 25-year-old has agreed to a pay cut that will keep him on the team.
Slayton was scheduled to be paid a salary of $2.5 million and count that much on the 2022 salary cap. He will now be paid the veteran minimum salary of $965,000, saving the Giants $1.6 million on the cap.
This is not a high-leverage saving in line with the restructure of defensive lineman Leonard Williams’ deal that slashed $12 million off the salary cap. It does allow Slayton to stay with the team that selected him in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL Draft and to try to rise up the ladder at receiver.
Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton at training camp in August 2022.Bill Kostroun/New York PostSlayton will have a chance to earn back his money if he hits certain incentives. Though, he will have to get on the field to achieve these incentives. He is currently listed behind Kenny Golladay, Kadarius Toney, rookie Wan’Dale Robinson, Sterling Shepard, David Sills, and Richie James.
As a rookie in 2019, Slayton was a pleasant surprise, catching 48 passes for 740 yards and eight touchdowns, emerging as a big-play threat for then-rookie quarterback Daniel Jones. He had 50 receptions for 751 yards and three touchdowns in 2020 but fell into disfavor last season, as his playing time and production (26 receptions for 339 yards and two touchdowns) declined.
Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton makes a catch at training camp in August 2022.Bill Kostroun/New York Post There was minimal discussion about trading Slayton, who did not generate much interest around the league. Slayton does give the Giants an experienced player at a position where they are not exactly stable. Golladay had a sluggish summer, Toney did not play in the preseason and missed practice time with knee and hamstring issues. Meanwhile, Shepard is coming off surgery to repair a torn Achilles tendon, and Sills has two career NFL receptions. Unlike James, Slayton is not a contributor on special teams.
This move with Slayton gives the Giants about $6 million in salary-cap space heading into the season, money they will need to make roster and practice squad moves.
