Darius Slayton on the Depth of Playmakers | New York Giants

Darius Slayton on the Depth of Playmakers | New York Giants

I’m just curious for you um when it comes to preseason just kind of as a vet now. How much value do you place in getting in preseason games and just kind of make getting those reps before you know the games count so to speak? A lot. I mean, I think it’s valuable for anybody, no matter how long you’ve played. Um no matter how you look at it, it’s been a long time since you’ve been live tackled. It’s been a long time since, you know, you’ve seen somebody that wears a different color than you. So, I think, you know, preseason reps are really valuable regardless of how long you you’ve played. And then when you look at some of these guys obviously like you know Bo Collins, Montreal Washington, uh Camry a little bit. Um what do you see from those guys that are trying to you know fight for a spot on the team and just taking advantage of these these reps they’ve been getting so far? They’re young, talented, hungry guys. You know, they’ve all come in and done a great job. Um you know, it’s a as you get older in the league, you know, it gets more and more spooky. It’s like, man, these kids are coming in getting better and better. They’re they’re smart. you know, they pick up the system fast, but you know, it’s been it’s been a lot of fun to have them around this off seasonason and be able to help grow alongside them. And, you know, even though obviously as older guy or the veteran in the room, you know, so to speak, you know, a lot of people, you know, seek to learn things from me, but you know, I’m always trying to learn things from them as well because they’re bringing stuff from college or what have you. So, you know, it’s been it’s been nice to have those guys around. Thank you, Paul Schwarz. Hey, Darius. How you doing? I’m good. How are you? I’m good, good, good. I think you might be uh close to setting the uh New York Giants Zoom appearance record. Got to be up there for sure. I think you’re you’re Yeah. Um Eli Manning didn’t really have a lot of Zooms in his day, so I think it’s it’s a new award, but I think you’re in right up at the top. Oh, thank you. Um Yeah. C can you um um just think back this one I got one fairly unpleasant uh remembrance of the last two years the way you guys started the season the way you did that have was that like a gut punch you know you got everyone is so excited for a season opener going to put on points you’re going to do this and the way those games against the Cowboys and the Vikings the results of those was that kind of a gut punch do you remember? Yeah, they definitely weren’t ideal. Um, certainly not how we wanted to open those seasons up, but you know, at the end of the day, they’re they’re in the past now. And all we can do this year is go out and do our best to open up the season fast and try to try to keep playing well throughout the entire year and then end the year strong. Um, I don’t know if you remember how you felt going into those seasons, but you know, you’re not there yet, but you’re close. I mean, you’ve always been a fairly optimistic guy, especially early in seasons or before the season. Um, what is your optimism level now knowing that you always say that you feel like you have a good team and you can score points? Does it feel a little different now? Yeah, I mean I I would say so. You know, I think we’ve played we’ve played really well over camp and kind of like uh the previous question I’ve I answered. Um, honestly like the depth of guys that we have, you know, like guys like Montreal and Camry and um, you know, Lil Jordan, Zack Pasco, who we also added, uh, Bo Collins, um, you know, Juice Wells, like we even the the the undrafted rookie free agent guys we signed have been making plays and it’s it’s having that type of obviously, you know, you have like kind of myself, uh, Malik Wendell that kind of, you know, that first three uh, group of receivers that we try to, you set the tone as far as play making goes, but you know, it’s one thing where you have like, okay, you got the guys you expect to make plays making plays, but when you’re top to bottom, you know, have a practice and every group rotates through and everybody’s making plays, um, it elevates the play of everybody around. And so, I think that ultimately, you know, it matters that guys like that are practicing well and playing well because it it ups the play of the guys like myself who are, you know, quote unquote, you know, in the in the one group. Are you eager to um see Russ play and play alongside him in a preseason game or is it like it’s his 13th year? I just, you know, we don’t I don’t need to see that. Yeah, I mean it’s his 13th year, but it’s his first year as a Giant, you know. So, um he’s never played as a New York Giant. He’s never played with us in a real game. He’s never played behind our line, played with our backs, played with our receivers. So, you know, I don’t think that you can minimize what those reps mean um with all new people. it is. He’s been playing football for a long time, but you know, things change when you go different places and you you have different pieces. So, you know, I’m excited to play alongside him and I think I think it’ll be a good uh a good mesh. One more real quick. I mean, does it even if it’s one series or two, does that make a difference? You know, sometimes the starters go out, they put eight or nine snaps, come off the field. Does that do anything for you if if that’s you doing it? Yeah, man. I think ultimately it’s all it’s at the end of the day it’s up to the coaches, you know, how long um you know, we’re out there. Um obviously our job we get paid to play. So, you know, my mindset is, you know, I go out there expecting to play um endlessly, you know, and then I I try to treat it as whenever whenever you do get that call that you know, you are done, you know, I try to treat it as it it being a surprise and I try not to anticipate it. And um leading up to that, I try to I try to play like I would any other regular season football game. Thanks. Appreciate it. Last one. Brian, I got a Hey, Darius, thanks for doing this. I got a couple for you. Um, first I’m going to read you some names here. These are the guys you could pass this season in Giants franchise receiving history. Sterling Shepard, Jeremy Shocki, Victor Cruz, uh some older Ike Hillyard, Hakee Knicks. Uh what does that mean to you? I mean, I just read you kind of like a Giants royalty list, some of your ex- teammates. What does it mean to you with a good season that you’re going to pass all those guys? Yeah, I mean I I have profound respect for all the names you just said. All guys who played here before me, all guys who, you know, were good players here before me, but, you know, ultimately it’s um while it would be, you know, nice to nice to be able to, you know, pass up people that were such good football players, you know, I I that’s not really my focus. You know, it’s not my primary focus. you know, I um even if I had even if I had, you know, the NFL record for yards through seven years in the NFL, you know, it wouldn’t change the fact, you know, of the games that we’ve, you know, not been able to win in my time here. And so ultimately, you know, that’s my primary focus is, you know, I think um somebody like Hakee Knicks or Ammani Tumor or uh you know, Mario Manningham, even you know, Plexico Burst, those type of guys, you know, the envy I have for them is the fact that they won at the highest level, you know, so ultimately I’d much rather catch them in Super Bowl rings than I would yardage, but um you know, hopefully if I’m blessed enough to get past him in yards, then then so be it. Uh, number two, uh, Dable was just raving about you this year as far as leadership, getting up into the, uh, front of the room. Obviously, you’ve always been one of the media favorites. Has something changed with you and your teammates this year? And why do you think that would be in year whatever this is, seven versus six or six versus five? What what’s different about you behind closed doors this year? Uh, it’s really been my fault. you know, I’m not despite the fact that I talk to you guys as we’ve already noted, uh, I’m not I’m not a talker, you know. So, um, this year, you know, though, I’ve tried to, you know, I I I have a wealth of knowledge in my brain and, you know, this year I’ve tried to be conscious about sharing that with the guys around me and with the teammates around me and I think that it’s been something that’s been beneficial for our team. And, um, you know, a lot of guys have that I’ve shared things with, you know, I’ve expressed, you know, um, you know, appreciation for what I’ve shared. So, you know, I’ve I’ve tried to uh come out of my show, you know, more this year than I have in the past and be more vocal and just try to try to uh impart knowledge and wisdom when I can. And what number three, what do you think of the new secondary? Everybody’s made such a big deal outside in my world of the front seven and like what Dex and Abdul and all these guys could do, but people are forgetting like there’s a lot of talent in that secondary that you’re going against every day with Adbo and Holland and Nuben’s a high pick and the Banks like what is your impression been going against them every day of that new secondary and what they could be and like their style of play? Yeah, I mean I think it starts with, you know, Holland and Nuben, you know, Noob’s a pit bull. You know, he gets on in there, he tackles, he’s physical, um but he’s also rangy. And I think I think Holland has added a good dimension of range, um you know, to our defense. He’s also a willing tackler, but um I think it’s stood out, you know, his ability to cover sideline to sideline and get to the deep ball and also track and catch the deep ball, I think, is something that’s he’s flashed a lot during camp and it’ll be a big addition for us. And you know, as far as our corners goes, obviously, you know, I think uh for the most part, you know, Adbo and uh Flat and Tay have, you know, somewhat, you know, rotated, whatever you want to say, in the in the first group a good bit. And I think all three of them have done a good job. You know, I think Tay’s done a really good job this camp so far. You know, I think he’s taken a step um raised his level a little bit from from previous years. And and Flat’s obviously a good football player, too. I think he’s grown himself and obviously Ado is a new addition. So, um, you know, I think he’s he’s shown himself to be a good pickup for us. And I think, you know, it’s it’s always, um, it’s always camp’s always interesting, especially when you add somebody like Kadibbo who’s never been on the team before, you know, so you don’t know I don’t know how he plays, you know, we don’t know how he plays until, you know, we get a chance to go against him. So, it’s always nice to have that change up of a fresh face and and he’s trying to get to know us and we’re trying to get to know him.

Wide Receiver Darius Slayton speaks to the media Tuesday at the Quest Diagnostics Training Center. Presented by Ford.

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