New York Giants co-owner John Mara gave general manager Joe Schoen and coach Brian Daboll a vote of confidence last week. That should embolden the Giants’ decision-makers to operate with the future in mind as the Nov. 5 trade deadline approaches.
Losing teams around the league — Tennessee, Las Vegas, Cleveland — have already started selling assets to contenders. The Giants have remained on the trade sideline so far, but a loss at Pittsburgh on Monday night would drop them to 2-6. Any hope of resurrecting the season would be lost at that point, so the focus would need to shift to acquiring draft picks for players who aren’t in the team’s plans. With the Giants sure to be in the market for a quarterback in next year’s NFL Draft, it’s essential to stockpile picks to have as many assets as possible to offer in a potential trade up.
Schoen has proven to be an active trader. He dealt wide receiver Kadarius Toney to the Kansas City Chiefs for third- and sixth-round picks at the 2022 trade deadline. Then he sent defensive lineman Leonard Williams to the Seattle Seahawks for a 2024 second-round pick and a 2025 fifth-round pick at last season’s trade deadline. The Giants ate $9.4 million of Williams’ remaining $10 million salary to facilitate the trade.
Schoen resisted a full housecleaning last year despite the team’s 2-6 record at the trade deadline. He held on to running back Saquon Barkley and safety Xavier McKinney, and both players left in free agency.
Schoen was conscious that trading two of the team’s best players would send a message to the locker room that the season was over. This season, he doesn’t have such considerations because none of the team’s top players are realistic trade options.
Instead, Schoen should consider his intention to sign impending free agents like wide receiver Darius Slayton and outside linebacker Azeez Ojulari. Schoen also must have a handle on those players’ interest in returning to the Giants once they hit the market after the season.
If Schoen doesn’t plan to pay the market rate for Slayton or Ojulari, or if he believes they’ll covet a fresh start from the highest bidder in free agency, he shouldn’t hesitate to make a deal to add draft assets. Here’s a look at the Giants’ trade chips and what they could expect in return in a deal:
WR Darius Slayton
Cap hit: $8.0 million
Cap implications: The Giants would create $1.8 million in cap savings by trading Slayton.
Projected trade value: Sixth- or seventh-round pick
Potential fits: Steelers, Buccaneers, Chargers, Lions, 49ers, Chiefs
The wide receiver trade market has been active. The Titans traded DeAndre Hopkins to the Chiefs for a conditional 2025 fifth-round pick. The Chiefs inherited $5.5 million of the remaining salary for Hopkins, who is in the final year of his contract. The Raiders traded Davante Adams to the New York Jets for a conditional 2025 third-round pick. Adams, who is signed through 2026, restructured his contract after the trade, so his cap hit will be $3.2 million for the rest of this season. The Browns traded Amari Cooper and a 2025 sixth-round pick to the Buffalo Bills for a 2025 third-round pick and a 2026 seventh-round pick. Cooper, who is in the final year of his deal, had restructured his contract with the Browns to the minimum, so his cap hit is just $806,667 for the Bills.
Those receivers are superior to the 27-year-old Slayton, so the return on those trades explains why an NFL executive thinks Slayton could only fetch a late Day 3 pick.
“He can still run,” the executive said. “He can run away from man. I think that’s maybe his role. He’s probably a better route runner than that, and I think his hands have improved. What he is, is an NFL receiver.”
DJ LAUNCHES TO SLAYTON 🚀
📺: CBS pic.twitter.com/Ei9YalCAPD
— New York Giants (@Giants) October 6, 2024
Slayton showed he can be productive with eight catches for 122 yards and one touchdown in a Week 5 win over the Seahawks when No. 1 receiver Malik Nabers was sidelined with a concussion. Slayton would count only $1.8 million against the cap for an acquiring team, which could make him more attractive than other receivers on the trade block.
Slayton has gotten minimal targets when Nabers has been on the field. Trading Slayton could open the door for playing time for 2023 third-round pick Jalin Hyatt, who has been a nonfactor this season. The Giants also could promote veteran receiver Isaiah Hodgins from the practice squad to help offset a Slayton departure.
Slayton expressed unhappiness with his compensation this offseason after signing a two-year, $12 million contract with the Giants in 2023, so he’s clearly going to seek a payday this offseason. If he’s not part of the Giants’ plans, he should be traded, even if the return will be minimal.
“He should be an add that fortifies your group and you feel good about it because he’s proven the ability to make plays at our level as a No. 2 or a No. 3, and he wasn’t very expensive to acquire,” the executive said.
OLB Azeez Ojulari
Cap hit: $2.2 million
Cap implications: The Giants would create $880,000 in cap savings by trading Ojulari.
Projected trade value: Sixth- or seventh-round pick
Potential fits: Lions, Bears, Falcons, Ravens, Bills
Ojulari had been relegated to a reserve role as the third edge rusher behind Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux at the start of the season. But Thibodeaux’s broken wrist has opened an opportunity for Ojulari, 24, to be a starter again, and he has responded with three sacks in the past two games. It’s perfect timing for Ojulari, who is set to hit free agency after the final year of his rookie contract.
Two sacks in less than two minutes for Azeez Ojulari 🔥
🎥 @NFL pic.twitter.com/XIWKktSg7l
— The Athletic NFL (@TheAthleticNFL) October 14, 2024
Injuries have been the main impediment during Ojulari’s career after he tallied eight sacks as a rookie. He had 5.5 sacks in seven games in an injury-plagued second season.
In an ideal world, the Giants would keep Ojulari as a quality third edge rusher. But productive pass rushers get paid, and he’s likely going to be seeking a bigger role in free agency. Still, his trade value could be limited by his injury history and lack of production in recent seasons. But he’s a bargain, costing an acquiring team just $880,000 for the rest of the season.
“He really hasn’t been a consistent producer,” the executive said. “But people always need edge. As part of a rotation, I could see someone (trading) a six or a seven or maybe a player-for-player swap.”
OL Evan Neal
Cap hit: $6.7 million
Cap implications: The Giants would create $547,222 in cap savings this season by trading Neal. There would be a $3.8 million dead-money charge on the 2025 cap from the remaining signing-bonus proration on his rookie contract.
Projected trade value: Late-round pick swap
Potential fits: Any team willing to take a flier
Neal has been stuck on the bench, even after left tackle Andrew Thomas suffered a season-ending foot injury in Week 6. The Giants used 2022 third-round pick Josh Ezeudu at left tackle last week, and journeyman Chris Hubbard, who was signed off the 49ers practice squad last week, could start at left tackle against the Steelers.
It seems the Giants have no intentions of playing Neal, who hasn’t seen the field since suffering an ankle injury in Week 9 last season. If the Giants are done with Neal, then a trade can’t be ruled out. The problem is the return would be miniscule for the seventh overall pick in the 2022 draft.
“Offensive line play is just so troubled league-wide,” the executive said. “If someone were to think he’s a guard, I could see a pick swap. You get Evan Neal and a seven for a six.”
Neal has one year remaining on his rookie contract. He’s due $4.1 million guaranteed next season, which could limit his appeal as a reclamation project.
If the Giants can get only a late-round pick swap for Neal, they should just move him to guard next offseason and see if he can find success at a new position.
(Photos of Azeez Ojulari and Darius Slayton: Vincent Carchietta / Imagn Images and Luke Hales / Getty Images)
