June 1 represents an important day in the calendar year for the NFL. It is a day when various rules and tenders change. In short, prior to June 1st any player removed from a teams roster, either by release or trade, will have all their remaining salary cap allocations accelerate into the current League Year. Any players removed after June 1st can have that “dead money” charge now split between two seasons. This is why many teams wait till after June 1st to make significant roster moves. There have been a number of “post June 1” cuts this off-season, here are the top ones still available:
The New York Giants are reportedly looking into the possibility of trading multiple wide receivers. The first that was reported was Kadarius Toney. Within the last week there have been reports of Darius Slayton also being on the trading block. Per Brad Spielberger of PFF, Darius Slayton is a likely Post June 1st trade / cut candidate.
WR DARIUS SLAYTON, NEW YORK GIANTS
- Post-June 1 cut 2022 dead cap: $58,721
- Post-June 1 cut 2022 cap savings: $2,540,000
- Post-June 1 trade 2022 dead cap: $58,721
- Post-June 1 trade 2022 cap savings: $2,540,000
There’s no difference from a salary cap perspective in moving on from Darius Slayton after June 1; this is more about how the 2022 NFL Draft unfolded for the Giants. The team selected Kentucky wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson at No. 43 overall, perhaps putting into question Slayton’s place on the depth chart.
Slayton was highly productive right out of the gate in 2019 after he was drafted in the fifth round, putting up 740 receiving yards and hauling in eight touchdowns as a rookie. That strong start to his career earned him an elevated salary of $2.54 million for 2022, but he’s coming off career lows across the board in 2021, including a 53.8 receiving grade and a 15.8% drop percentage on catchable passes, which ranked second-worst among receivers with at least 25 targets in 2021.
The Giants are undergoing a rebuild and have already moved on from important contributors, such as cornerback James Bradberry, as new general manager Joe Schoen works to clear the books and turn over a roster that hasn’t had a record above .500 at any point over the past five seasons.
Slayton represents an interesting trade candidate for teams in need of a quality deep threat who can take the top off a defense, and he could bounce back off a down year and regain the form he showed early in his career. Plenty of teams could use a player with his skill set.
What would it cost?
Given that Slayton was not dealt during the 2022 NFL Draft, it is likely the Giants weren’t offered a deal they loved. However at this point in time it may be more about the cap relief than the what they would get in return. Back in April Darius Slayton himself has acknowledged the possibility of being traded/cut:
At this point it shouldn’t take much more than a mid to late round draft pick in 2023 to get Slayton. 4th, 5th, or even multiple 6th round picks.
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