Team chemistry is important and the offense is going to be sure it’s built from the start.
The New York Giants are a month and one day away from playing their first preseason game and some of the most important members of the team’s offense are already bonding prior to the start of camp. ESPN reporter Jordan Raanan tweeted out an interesting piece of information that should only encourage fans in the latter stages of the offseason.
A good chunk of offensive players including Daniel Jones and the #Giants QBs, Saquon Barkley, Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton are currently in North Carolina working out/bonding with the season on the horizon. These offseason get-togethers have been commonplace with Jones.
Interestingly enough, none of the players Raanan reports are currently in North Carolina have shared any photos or information from this North Carolina retreat. Presumably, Davis Webb and Tyrod Taylor are there, as the other two quarterbacks on the roster. This has been commonplace with Daniel Jones, as Raanan says, with Raanan himself tweeting on last year’s edition of the retreat. The move is certainly a good leadership gesture from Jones, signifying he may have the personality traits to be this team’s offensive leader, but his performance on the field remains the biggest issue. This is the primary reason the club declined to pick up Jones’ fifth-year option this past April, meaning he’ll be a free agent after this upcoming season.
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Jones, for his part, took the decision in stride, opting to instead discuss the team’s goals for the upcoming season. “I think it’s more about winning games and knowing that if we win games and we have a good season then that’s going to take care of a lot of things for everyone,” Jones said. ”Everything we do is about that goal.”
Slayton’s Future With The Giants
Another interesting piece of information from Jordan Raanan’s report was that Darius Slayton was among those in attendance in North Carolina. While Slayton led the Giants in both receiving yards and receiving touchdowns during his first two seasons in the league, he’s been rumored as a potential candidate to be cut by the team. According to Pro Football Focus (PFF), there are a variety of reasons for this possibility. It starts with the team’s drafting of wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson out of Kentucky. Selected 43rd overall, Robinson’s arrival in New York puts into question exactly where Slayton fits in the depth chart.
Despite his strong numbers in the first two seasons of his career, Slayton saw a significant drop-off in production last season, which is the main cause for his spot on the team coming into question. As PFF reports, the 25-year-old’s strong career start earned him a higher salary of $2.54 million for this season. With the Giants’ cap space woes well known, Slayton’s salary may just not interest the team, with plenty of wide receivers on the roster to fill Slayton’s shoes.
Barkley Predicted As Team MVP
Kevin Patra of NFL.com recently selected each NFL team’s non-QB MVP for the upcoming season and to no surprise, Saquon Barkley was the nominee for Big Blue. Calling Barkley a “Barry Sanders-type”, Patra goes on to describe the 25-year-old’s history of injuries as the biggest reason he’s been unable to replicate his sensational rookie year. All of these factors, between Barkley’s health, Daniel Jones’ effectiveness, and the team’s coaching carousel during their time on the team, should be priorities as the team seeks to exceed expectations for the 2022 season.
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Key Members of Giants Offense Preparing For Season Together