Getty New York Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton stiff arms a defender during an NFL game.
The Dallas Cowboys are seemingly in need of a new wide receiver, and one NFL coach thinks a New York Giants wide receiver for a great price.
Dallas has been linked to various names since James Washington fractured his ankle in training camp, but no moves have materialized. Owner Jerry Jones has said that he thinks the group is strong as it stands, but that’s hard to believe when Washington and another expected starter, Michael Gallup, are expected to be injured to start the season.
Now, Heavy’s own Michael Lombardo is connecting the Cowboys to Giants WR Darius Slayton after a recent conversation with an AFC coach. Lombardo’s logic behind the deal is that the Cowboys need “immediate” help at WR, and New York GM Joe Schoen would prefer to get a future pick for a player who has slid down the depth chart.
“After his rookie season,” the AFC coach said. “I thought the needle was pointed way up. I’m not sure what happened there. The fact that he doesn’t play special teams could really hurt his value. He should play a lot in the preseason, and if he plays well, maybe they can get a fifth-round pick, at most.”
That’s not a hard line on a price or the potential of a deal, but a late-round pick seems like an ideal price for a player like Slayton with serious upside.
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Slayton Falls Down Depth with Giants
It’s somewhat hard to believe that Slayton is now expected to be a No. 4 or No. 5 receiver at best in 2022. After a solid college career at Auburn and then being drafted in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL draft, Slayton established himself as a prominent target in his first two NFL seasons.
After 48 receptions for 740 yards and eight touchdowns in 2019, Slayton followed his rookie season with 50 receptions, 751 yards and three touchdowns according to Pro Sports Reference.
However, Slayton fell off in 2021 as he started just 5 games and made 13 appearances. In total, he he caught 26 passes for 339 receiving yards and two touchdowns. So it wasn’t a waste of a season, but definitely a regression.
That regression is likely due to multiple reasons, including the additions of Kenny Golladay and Kadarius Toney to the wide receiver group last season. Slayton still had a role to play for the Giants, but it feels as if he’s been phased out of focus in New York.
Cowboys Insider Projects Team to Keep 7 Receivers
While speculation and rumors swirl around the wide receiver group, the team has added a new name and 2021 USFL MVP KaVontae Turpin as a special teams stopgap and potential offensive weapon.
While Turpin and other young names like Simi Fehoko could have a hard time making the final 53-man roster with the addition of someone like Slayton, Dallas Morning News insider Michael Gehlken thinks the Cowboys take seven WRs to the final roster.
The seven names:
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CeeDee Lamb
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Noah Brown
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Jalen Tolbert
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James Washington
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Dennis Houston
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Simi Fehoko
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KaVontae Turpin
Obviously, this list doesn’t include Gallup and is anticipating that the wide receiver starts off on the injured reserve. Houston is a somewhat surprising name, but Gehlken also recently reported that quarterback Dak Prescott is a big fan of the undrafted free agent.
Cowboys’ Dak Prescott lights up when talking about WR Dennis Houston the way franchise QBs seldom do with undrafted rookies. “He’s where I expect him to be on each and every play. And he’s coming back and asking about things, communicating about things.” Tough, resilient player.
