Story out of Giants camp that veteran wideout Darius Slayton is skipping voluntary workouts. That's fine -- they're voluntary -- but I think he'd be wise to show up. If I were him, I'd be collecting the $8.15 million I'm due this season and being pretty happy about it.
Yes, Slayton is New York's most proven, established receiver. He comes off a 50-catch, 770-yard receiving season, career-highs (and impressive considering the quarterbacking the team has had in recent years). He's been as good or better than the team could have reasonably hoped for out of a wideout in this passing game.
But he also hasn't set the world on fire, either, and the team has several wide receivers that are both younger and were drafted a lot earlier, Wan'Dale Robinson and rookie 6th-overall pick Malik Nabers. Last year's third-rounder Jalin Hyatt, too. Just because Slayton has been the best the team has had doesn't mean he's done anything they're really clinging to. They can rank next-to-last in passing offense without him just as easily as they've done with him.
In Slayton's five-year career, 53 other wide receivers have played in at least 50 games and seen at least 200 targets. I included the targets threshold because I wanted guys who are actually part of the offense, as opposed to just special teamers and whatnot. Only two of those wideouts have averaged fewer catches per game than Slayton. It's hard to contend that he will be missed.
Table compiled using the search tools at pro-football-reference.com.
WR RECEPTIONS/GAME, 2019-2023 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Player | G | No | Rec | TD | No/G |
Keenan Allen | 69 | 484 | 5324 | 31 | 7.0 |
Davante Adams | 76 | 524 | 6584 | 56 | 6.9 |
Cooper Kupp | 69 | 465 | 5631 | 40 | 6.7 |
Justin Jefferson | 60 | 392 | 5899 | 30 | 6.5 |
Tyreek Hill | 77 | 494 | 6884 | 51 | 6.4 |
Stefon Diggs | 81 | 508 | 6502 | 43 | 6.3 |
Chris Godwin | 72 | 436 | 5323 | 26 | 6.1 |
CeeDee Lamb | 66 | 395 | 5145 | 32 | 6.0 |
DeAndre Hopkins | 67 | 400 | 4918 | 31 | 6.0 |
Michael Pittman Jr. | 62 | 336 | 3662 | 15 | 5.4 |
Calvin Ridley | 50 | 260 | 3537 | 26 | 5.2 |
Tyler Lockett | 81 | 418 | 5213 | 40 | 5.2 |
Diontae Johnson | 77 | 391 | 4363 | 25 | 5.1 |
D.J. Moore | 81 | 405 | 5777 | 27 | 5.0 |
Amari Cooper | 79 | 389 | 5578 | 35 | 4.9 |
A.J. Brown | 77 | 379 | 5947 | 42 | 4.9 |
DeVonta Smith | 50 | 240 | 3178 | 19 | 4.8 |
Adam Thielen | 72 | 344 | 3799 | 40 | 4.8 |
Mike Evans | 77 | 367 | 5577 | 54 | 4.8 |
Cole Beasley | 50 | 237 | 2473 | 11 | 4.7 |
Terry McLaurin | 80 | 378 | 5283 | 25 | 4.7 |
Christian Kirk | 73 | 334 | 4207 | 25 | 4.6 |
D.K. Metcalf | 82 | 372 | 5332 | 43 | 4.5 |
Tyler Boyd | 80 | 361 | 4144 | 21 | 4.5 |
Robert Woods | 71 | 318 | 3579 | 15 | 4.5 |
Jarvis Landry | 52 | 232 | 2856 | 12 | 4.5 |
Tee Higgins | 58 | 257 | 3684 | 24 | 4.4 |
Brandin Cooks | 74 | 324 | 4126 | 25 | 4.4 |
JuJu Smith-Schuster | 60 | 261 | 2705 | 16 | 4.4 |
Marquise Brown | 72 | 313 | 3644 | 28 | 4.3 |
Brandon Aiyuk | 62 | 269 | 3931 | 25 | 4.3 |
Allen Robinson | 71 | 305 | 3426 | 17 | 4.3 |
Deebo Samuel | 66 | 283 | 4122 | 19 | 4.3 |
Mike Williams | 62 | 255 | 4047 | 21 | 4.1 |
Russell Gage | 59 | 238 | 2428 | 14 | 4.0 |
Jakobi Meyers | 76 | 306 | 3565 | 16 | 4.0 |
Courtland Sutton | 65 | 256 | 3555 | 20 | 3.9 |
Julio Jones | 55 | 216 | 2972 | 15 | 3.9 |
Marvin Jones | 68 | 262 | 3153 | 25 | 3.9 |
Curtis Samuel | 69 | 263 | 2774 | 17 | 3.8 |
Jerry Jeudy | 57 | 211 | 3053 | 11 | 3.7 |
Hunter Renfrow | 73 | 269 | 2884 | 17 | 3.7 |
DeVante Parker | 66 | 239 | 3443 | 18 | 3.6 |
Darnell Mooney | 60 | 213 | 2593 | 11 | 3.6 |
Odell Beckham Jr. | 51 | 176 | 2456 | 15 | 3.5 |
Jamison Crowder | 61 | 210 | 2198 | 15 | 3.4 |
DJ Chark | 58 | 198 | 2895 | 23 | 3.4 |
Michael Gallup | 70 | 233 | 3237 | 19 | 3.3 |
Laviska Shenault Jr. | 51 | 158 | 1551 | 6 | 3.1 |
Robbie Chosen | 74 | 224 | 2802 | 15 | 3.0 |
Chase Claypool | 58 | 175 | 2261 | 13 | 3.0 |
Darius Slayton | 76 | 220 | 3324 | 19 | 2.9 |
Kendrick Bourne | 72 | 206 | 2665 | 17 | 2.9 |
Zay Jones | 73 | 204 | 2060 | 9 | 2.8 |
Maybe Slayton deserves better. His quarterbacks haven't been good, and he can't throw the ball to himself. Put him on a better roster in a better passing game, and he'd doubtless be more productive.
But I don't think the Giants will be giving him a raise or extending him this summer. They're hoping that Robinson and Nabers step up, and they've got other functional pass catchers. I think Slayton should take his $8M and hope he performs well enough that he gets a big deal from someone next offseason. It's unlikely to happen this one.
--Andy Richardson