New York Giants Trade Rumors: Fact vs. Fiction

Less than a week before the NFL trade deadline, here’s the latest on the New York Giants’ potential involvement in any deals.

Sep 22, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; New York Giants linebacker Bobby Okereke (58) and New York Giants linebacker Azeez Ojulari (51) celebrate after a sack during the first quarter against the Cleveland Browns at Huntington Bank Field. / Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

The NFL trade deadline is fast approaching, and for several teams, the results of this weekend’s game could influence whether they’re buyers or sellers.

The New York Giants are expected to be sellers, though even if they lose to the Washington Commanders at home, they are not expected to hold an all-out firesale. Instead, three names keep circulating as potential trade prospects: receiver Darius Slayton, edge Azeez Ojualri and tackle Evan Neal.

Things can change in a New York minute, but here’s how things will likely play out with each.

Oct 6, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton (86) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Seattle Seahawks during the second half at Lumen Field. / Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

WR Darius Slayton

Although Slayton is in the final year of his contract and seems, at least as of right now, to be a long shot to re-sign here after this season, he’s still very much a large part of the offense–maybe even more so despite the presence of Malik Nabers. 

Further complicating the possibility of trading Slayton is that Cooper Kupp of the Rams and Mike Williams of the Jets are also being rumored as trade candidates. 

Toss in the fact that the Giants coaching staff, at least based on what we’ve seen so far, has little confidence in Jalin Hyatt to get him more involved, and the odds of Slayton being traded are extremely low. 

East Rutherford, NJ -- August 24, 2024 -- Evan Neal of the Giants before the game. The New York Giants and New York Jets meet at MetLife Stadium in both teams' final preseason game of the 2024 season. / Chris Pedota, NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK

OT Evan Neal

This never made any sense, regardless of what the earlier rumors/reports said, because it doesn’t make sense. (Not to mention, the Giants, at best, probably won’t get more than a seventh-round pick for the seventh overall pick in the 2021 draft.)

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler’s sources seems to agree, noting that Neal, who has yet to see the field on offense this season, “could see the field sooner than later.”

We think it will be later, as in next year. The Giants are unlikely to exercise the option year in Neal’s rookie deal, the decision for which needs to be made next spring.

What is likely to happen is that the team will move on from Greg Van Roten, who is only signed through this year, and look to move Jermaine Eluemunor, currently at right tackle, to right guard next to Neal, which was the original plan before Neal suffered a setback with his surgically repaired ankle in the spring.

If Neal plays well, he gets a new deal or even the franchise tag absent a new deal the following year. If he doesn’t, the Giants will move on. But they owe it to themselves to give Neal one last opportunity to live up to his first-round draft pedigree, whose career has been mostly slowed down by injuries.

New York Giants linebacker Azeez Ojulari (51), New York Giants defensive tackle Rakeem Nunez-Roches (93), and the rest of Big Blue were all smiles as they beat the Philadelphia Eagles, 27-10 Sunday, January 7, 2024. / Kevin R. Wexler / USA TODAY NETWORK

OLB Azeez Ojulari

Ojulari remains the most likely player to be moved by the trade deadline. Teams recognize that productive pass rushers don’t grow on trees. 

And the more Ojulari continues to produce during Kayvon Thibodeaux’s injury-related absence, the more he increases his value on the trade market. This is a plus for a team like the Giants that might need to trade up for a quarterback.

Why would the Giants not want to retain Ojulari? For the simple reason that he will get a nice payday once he hits the open market, one that the Giants will be unlikely to afford.

Brian Burns is set to count for $29.75 million, and Thibodeaux will count for  $9.971 million (third and fifth highest cap numbers on the 2025 team, respectively). 

Ojualri could see an APY of upwards of $10-$15 million on his next contract if he stays healthy, and if that is indeed his market range, that’s a lot to devote to a guy whose role has been reduced to that of a situational pass rusher on a team with so many other holes to address

With the Detroit Lions a potential Super Bowl team and having lost Aidan Hutchinson for the year, a low-cost option like Ojulari might be too good of a value to pass up, to the point that they might even be willing to cough up a Day 2 pick for the former Georgia star.

The Athletic’s Dianna Russini also mentioned the Bengals as a team looking to get some additional help for Trey Hendrickson on their defense. Russini also confirms that the Giants are shopping Ojulari’s contract and that the Bengals, Cardinals, and Falcons are among the teams that have shown the most interest.

A potential return for Ojulari to Georgia, where he grew up and played his college ball, would probably make the best sense of all the reported suitors for Ojulari. But Russini also reported that the Giants have already received calls from the Cardinals about Ojulari.

The NFL trade deadline is 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday, November 5.  

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