New York Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton heads toward free agency expecting to garner attention from clubs needing to add speed to their lineups.
"When you look at that, my ability to stretch the field becomes more valuable because that leads to shorter drives, one-play touchdowns. You need chunk plays to score in this league," Slayton said on the Talkin' Ball with Pat Leonard podcast, via the New York Daily News. "We know we have a lot of interest out there. And when free agency opens up, we'll have a lot of different conversations to have with a lot of different people."
The 28-year-old led the Giants in receiving in four of his six seasons in New York but never passed the 770-yard mark in any campaign. Big Blue continually tried to downgrade Slayton but always turned back to the playmaker in times of need.
With Malik Nabers and a young core now in New York, Slayton is poised to move on. During the podcast interview, he repeatedly referred to the Giants as "they" as opposed to "we," a non-binding but subtle indicator of where he's at mentally heading into free agency.
Slayton said his goal is to land with a winner, "somewhere where they're striving to be competitive and that the goal is to win."
"Definitely, winning and being in an advantageous situation are probably two things that are really important for me right now," Slayton said. "Obviously, five out of my six years with the Giants, we weren't competitive. We didn't make the playoffs. We weren't really close to making the playoffs.
"And one thing I've learned in my career is … You play with guys that have [the attitude of] 'If I go off and I get paid, I sleep great at night.' And I have learned over my career that I do want to go off and I do want to get paid. But it weighs on me so heavy just losing. Every. Single. Week. I can't take [it]. Like, there's no money that's gonna make me just go home and be like -- I'm obviously gonna be a little more happy in my Hellcat than in a Camry -- but like my spirit, the core of me cannot take that."
NFL clubs can always use speed, a threat that Slayton possesses in spades. He'd make a very nice WR3 on many teams as a field-stretching threat. While the top of the free agency class is littered with 30-plus-year-old possession wideouts, few bring the burners like Slayton. The former Auburn product might not see a massive long-term pact, but he certainly can add a dimension to a needy club on a shorter deal.
"This receiver free agency class is very unique, and fortunately for me, I am in a niche spot of my ability combined with where I'm at in my career that makes me fairly valuable at this point in comparison to some of the other guys," Slayton said.
Slayton landed as the No. 44 pending free agent in Gregg Rosenthal's Top 101.
