Giants 2024 trade deadline: Darius Slayton and Azeez Ojulari are trade chips

Regardless of the outcome of Monday night's game with the Pittsburgh Steelers, the New York Giants will have to be sellers at the NFL trade deadline, which is just eight days away.

Is there really another choice? With the Giants unlikely to make the playoffs and almost certainly facing the need to find a new young quarterback to build around, the Giants need to focus on the future.

The two obvious trade candidates for the Giants are wide receiver Darius Slayton and edge defender Azeez Ojulari.

Whenever the idea of ​​trading either player comes up, at least some Giants fans are inevitably met with resistance.

Like this:

Or this kind of mixed “mailbag” question from Dennis Guadett:

I understand that we may want to trade Slayton for capital release because he is older and his contract is up.

I don't understand why Ojulari should be traded. Yes, he is in the final year of his contract, but do you really want to trade away talent in such an important and difficult position to get a good player?

So let me explain my view.

This starts with both players being free agents at the end of the season and it seems unlikely that they will return to the Giants next season. In fact, that's honestly the main point.

How many fans have criticized GM Joe Schoen for leaving players like Saquon Barkley and

You can't say “Don't trade these players” now and then later wonder why the Giants are left with nothing if they leave as free agents. Former NFL GM Jeff Diamond told me that neither player would likely bring more than a sixth-round pick in return. But it's nothing better than nothing.

First, let’s talk about Slayton.

The 2019 fifth-round pick has exceeded his draft stock. Prior to Malik Nabers' arrival this year, Slayton was the Giants' most productive wide receiver in four of his five seasons.

Still, Slayton was never fully accepted by the current Giants regime.

Slayton took a pay cut to remain with the Giants in 2022. Then he barely played in the first four weeks of the season, catching just one ball, before injuries forced the Giants to use him and he emerged as their best receiver.

He signed a two-year, $12 million contract to remain with the team, with $4.9 million guaranteed. After being the Giants' all-time leader in receiving yards again last season, Slayton initially stayed away from voluntary workouts to express that he felt underpaid.

Slayton, who came to the Giants in the same draft class as Daniel Jones, has always been the most vocal quarterback defender.

Slayton was always a good soldier and gave his best to the Giants whether he was happy with his situation or not. Considering Slayton feels financially undervalued and the quarterback he's always backed is likely to be cut, staying with the Giants almost certainly won't be Slayton's first choice.

Given how the Giants have viewed him so far, I can't imagine Schoen engaging in a bidding war to keep him.

So with wide receivers being swapped all over the NFL chessboard this season, it begs the question: If the Giants can get a draft pick in exchange for him now, why wouldn't they?

That would net them something and give them the opportunity to give Jalin Hyatt full playing time to make a better evaluation of the 2023 third-round pick.

Now to Ojulari.

I wrote about the fourth-year Edge Defender last week when he told me he was “just working” and trying to help his team instead of focusing on the future.

Nevertheless, 24-year-old Ojulari is unaware of his situation. He knows that Brian Burns, with an expensive long-term contract and Kayvon Thibodeaux as the No. 5 overall pick in 2022, will always be the third wheel in the Giants' top rotation.

He knows how valuable the pass rush is and that NFL teams will do whatever it takes to find him. He knows his value on the open market will increase as long as he continues to produce while Thibodeaux recovers from his broken wrist.

He knows there are teams out there that are likely to give him both more money than the Giants can and more playing time than they have available.

So it's not about whether the Giants have an adequate replacement for Thibodeaux and Ojulari in the short term.

It's about doing what's best for the long-term future of the franchise.