3 potential Giants trade candidates entering 2024 training camp

The New York Giants are heading into an intriguing season in 2024, as it is essentially a prove-it season for quarterback Daniel Jones coming off of a disappointing 2023. Some significant changes took place with the roster, and it remains to be seen how they impact the team, but it is a critical year for Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll.

Schoen made some difficult decisions, moving on from star running back Saquon Barkley and safety Xavier McKinney and then bringing in edge rusher Brian Burns in a trade with the Carolina Panthers. This change represents investing in high-value positions.

Regardless, expectations from the outside are not high for the Giants. Unlike last season with Leonard Williams, there is not an obvious big expiring contract Schoen could offload for picks at this year’s trade deadline. But there are some intriguing names who might go for some kind of value if the Giants are out of contention by the deadline.

Darius Slayton is perhaps the most obvious name on this list for the Giants. While he is not on a big deal, he is on an expiring contract, and was speculated as a potential trade piece this offseason. Slayton has been the Giants’ leading receiver for many recent years, but the passing attack has been lackluster.

Ideally, Darius Slayton would be a second or third receiver who can take the top off of a defense. He is in the second year of a two-year, $12 million contract. It should not be hard for a contending team to fit him into the salary cap at the trade deadline.

Not to mention, the Giants have young receivers they want to see develop in their wide receiver room. Malik Nabers is the obvious one, the No. 6 overall pick who as highly-touted and likely to be the main option in New York’s offense this season. The other young receivers are Wan’Dale Robinson and Jalin Hyatt. Robinson is a small slot type of receiver who should not eat into Slayton’s playing time. Hyatt is a speedy receiver who the Giants are hoping develops as a more well-rounded player.

Still, both Robinson and Hyatt have flashed at times, and if they show enough early in the season and the Giants are out of the running, it could make sense to trade Slayton to give those two more snaps.

Daniel Bellinger, TE

It might be a surprise to see Schoen’s 2022 fourth-round pick in Daniel Bellinger on this list, especially after Darren Waller’s retirement, but when looking at the depth chart, it might. On paper, Bellinger is the Giants’ starting tight end this season.

While Bellinger is likely the most well rounded tight end on the roster right now, he might not be the best on the roster at receiving and blocking. When it comes to receiving, the Giants seem high on Lawrence Cager, and they selected Theo Johnson in the fourth round, who is compared to Waller as an athlete. When it comes to blocking, Jack Stoll and Chris Manhertz are likely better at that role as well.

There is a world where Brian Daboll could feel like he has the receiving and blocking roles covered with some kind of combination of Cager, Johnson, Stoll and Manhertz, leaving little snaps for Bellinger.

There have been some reports this spring that Bellinger is not as high on the depth chart as many fans think as well. If Daboll feels the other tight ends have the blocking and receiving roles to better capabilities, Bellinger could get traded for any kind of draft compensation that Schoen could get.

It was unknown whether or not Isaiah Simmons would be brought back this season, as he was added back when Wink Martindale was defensive coordinator. Now with Shane Bowen, he will have to prove himself good enough to play a certain role in a new scheme.

In the first episode of the Giants’ offseason Hard Knocks series on HBO, Bowen described Simmons as a player who could play nickel on first and second down, and then play a money backer role on third down. The Giants have some players like Jalen Mills who could be competing for that role as well.

New York traded a seventh round pick for Simmons a year ago, and he certainly would not bring much of anything back this year. He could be viewed as a cut candidate if he does not fit into Bowen’s scheme, but Schoen could see if there is a team that would want to give the Giants a late round pick to get Simmons in their scheme.