Veteran wide receiver Darius Slayton will not play for the New York Giants against the Dallas Cowboys in the season’s first Sunday Night Football matchup on September 13. The Giants released Slayton on Monday.
But could the veteran still play in the game for the Cowboys? CBS Sports’ Bryan DeArdo didn’t rule out the possibility.
In the hours after the Giants released Slayton on Labor Day, the CBS Sports analyst named seven possible landing spots for the veteran wideout. Dallas made the cut if for nothing else but Week 1 intel.
“The Cowboys already have CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens, but another proven receiver would likely be welcome in Dallas’ pass-heavy offense,” DeArdo wrote. “The Cowboys — who play the Giants in Week 1 — could also sign Slayton for intel purposes. Slayton could give Dallas some insight into new Giants coach John Harbaugh’s offense.”
The Cowboys will renew their rivalry with the Giants at MetLife Stadium in Week 1. Kickoff for the game will be 7:20 pm CT.
Could Cowboys Sign Recently Released Giants WR Darius Slayton?
DeArdo certainly fanned some flames in the Cowboys-Giants rivalry with the suggestion Dallas could sign Slayton just for Giants intel. Teams, though, have been known to make those kinds of roster additions for short-term intel in the past.
The Cowboys doing that for Week 1 would make a lot of sense. The Giants will be playing their first game of the John Harbaugh era. So, there’s quite a bit of unknown when it comes to how New York will operate its offense and defense.
Dallas can study game film of quarterback Jaxson Dart last season and Harbaugh when he coached the Baltimore Ravens. But that’s not the same as what the Giants have available to them — an entire season of quarterback Dak Prescott in Brian Schottenheimer’s offense.
Slayton, though, doesn’t just have to be a Giants snitch. He has posted four 700-yard campaigns in his NFL career. The past two seasons, he eclipsed the 500-yard mark.
He’s also averaged 15 yards per catch. So wherever he goes, he offers big-play potential.
Last season, Slayton registered 37 catches, 538 receiving yards and one touchdown. He averaged 14.5 yards per catch.
What Slayton Could Bring to Dallas
Slayton can still make plays down the field, which should give him free agency value. But it’s not clear how the Cowboys would use that with the playmakers they already have.
In addition to one of the top tandems in the league with CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens, the Cowboys have receivers Ryan Flournoy, Kavontae Turpin and Jonathan Mingo all returning. Undrafted rookie Camden Brown also made the Cowboys roster.
Turpin averaged 15.2 yards per catch last season. Not to mention, Lamb and Pickens each had at least 14 yards per grab.
So, the Cowboys don’t really need another big-play threat. Slayton would bring more experience to the table, but the Cowboys might prefer to stay with the receivers Prescott is already familiar with.
Still, that doesn’t mean Dallas couldn’t entertain the idea of bringing in Slayton for a week. After his surprise release, the receiver might welcome the opportunity to spoil the Giants season opener.
Cowboys Could Steal Intel For Week 1 Giants Matchup From Just Cut WR: Analyst