When you hear the song “Stuck In The Middle With You”, some think of Michael Madsen in the iconic scene from Reservoir Dogs, and rightfully so. (That scene is awesome, by the way, for anyone who hasn’t seen it…)
But when some sports fans hear it, they think of their middling team.
NBA fans know the impending doom of finishing just in or just out of the playoffs. Too good to rebuild and draft high, and just bad enough not to be a real contender. MLB fans calculate their ceiling by their team’s willingness or unwillingness to spend money. Too cheap to go all in, and too profitable to tank.
In the NFL, things can change more quickly, but any team trotting out Geno Smith or Baker Mayfield know their ceiling is probably making the playoffs. Good but not great or bad but not terrible.
That’s what New York Giants fans feel right now. Stuck in the middle.
Last Sunday, Rashee Rice went down with a brutal knee injury that is probably going to sideline him for the remainder of the year; at the very least the next 4 weeks.
This injury sparked leaguewide speculation that the Kansas City Chiefs will be trading for a wide receiver. And rightfully so, after offseason acquisition Hollywood Brown is gone for the year and now leading receiver Rashee Rice gone for at least several weeks, it makes sense for them to add a veteran.
Insert Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton.
A lot of Giants fans want to trade Darius Slayton for a pick. And I can’t blame them. A veteran WR, on a one year deal, who’s playing for a team that isn’t going anywhere, and most likely isn’t coming back next year.
Sounds like a trade candidate to me. But some aren’t so thrilled with the idea.
Insert Giants (reporter? podcaster? super-fan? None of those are meant to be disparaging, I truly just don’t know his title) Bobby Skinner.
Bobby Skinner is one of the hosts of Talkin’ Giants. A very popular podcast that talks about, shocker, the Giants! And he’s usually very tied into what the Giants are doing and should be doing.
But after watching the below clip. I have to disagree with Senor Skinner.
He postures that the Giants wouldn’t get more than a 4th round pick and he’s probably right. But his reasoning isn’t logical in my not-so-humble opinion. A 4th round pick is useful and claiming that it’s not because the Giants have only drafted a one successful player in the 4th round in the last ten years and he was a long snapper, to me, is flimsy logic.
The Giants shouldn’t stockpile draft picks because they’re cursed in the 4th round? Because of bad juju? I’m not one for superstition. Plus, a 4th round pick isn’t nothing. 17% of NFL starters are drafted in round 4 or later. Not nothing.
Bobby also asked why you would let a 27 year old WR go at your only position of depth? For that very reason! You have depth, use it!
Mr. Skinner goes onto say ,“Stop trying to get rid of Darius Slayton to play a lesser player.” Hard disagree. This would then move Hyatt into a more prominent role in the offense. Is Hyatt the player that Slayton is? No. But a second round WR in a losing season CANNOT be rotting away on the bench.
To me it makes sense. Trade Slayton and get a 4th round pick, activate Hodgins from the practice squad (who’s production is similar, Slayton is better to be clear) , utilize Hyatt more, and give Bellinger, Theo Johnson, and Tyrone Tracy more snaps in the offense.
Obviously, all of these ideas hinge on Brain Daboll coming back in 2025. If that’s the case, then you’re letting the current regime draft their QB in 2025.
Time and time again the Giants seems like they are moving forward with no plan. Trading Slayton and backing Daboll would provide clarity for the future and go a long way in actually PLANNING for the future.
I’m not naïve in thinking you automatically get a great replacement in the 4th round. But, here’s a list of wide receivers selected in the 4th round or later the last 3 years (excluding 2024, because it’s too early to tell)
2023 – Dontayvion Wicks, Puka Nucua, Trey Palmer, Andrei Iosivas.
2022 – Romeo Doubs, Khalil Shakir, Jalen Nailor.
2021 – Amon-Ra St. Brown
I get it, we’re starting to digress into the minutia of a theoretical 4th round pick. But the Giants need to do something. The Giants need to have a coherent plan.
Maybe Giants fans are just bored as Skinner suggested. Maybe Giants fans are fed up with stagnation. Maybe Giants fans are just sick of all of this bullshit year after year.
But maybe they’re on to something. Maybe trading Slayton and providing detail on the future plans are what the fans, not just want, but need.
For Schoen and Daboll, winning that first season was the kiss of death. They inaccurately projected an increase of production from Daniel Jones and signed him to a bad deal. They thought they were a playoff team in 2023 but were half pregnant with Saquan and gave him 1 year.
What does 2025 look like? The same WR corp. with a new rookie QB? Lose Slayton for nothing and add another midrange 5th year receiver, ala Paris Campbell-type? We already know how that goes.
Look, does the future of the Giants organization hinge on Darius Slayton? Absolutely not. But trading Slayton provides a glimpse into the future and some ammo for the draft. A 4th round pick doesn’t solve the direction problem with the Giants, but it does kick this rebuild, or perhaps rebrand, in gear.
It’s like Katt Williams said, “At least if you stupid, you should try!”
Final words… Bobby if you read this, it’s no shot at you! Just commenting on a clip. Best of luck. Hopefully, for the Giants sake, they take Drew Allar; my QB1.
