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NY Giants NFL trade deadline updates: Has Azeez Ojulari played last game with Big Blue?

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NY Giants NFL trade deadline updates: Has Azeez Ojulari played last game with Big Blue?

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EAST RUTHERFORD – EAST RUTHERFORD − New York Giants co-owner John Mara believes in messaging. It’s one of the reasons his vote of confidence in GM Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll from two weeks ago should not be ignored.

The question always comes up when the NFL trade deadline approaches, and it has again for the Giants, whose 2024 campaign is teetering on a cliff at 2-7 following Sunday’s 27-22 loss to the Commanders:

What should the Giants do with teams around the NFL buying and selling under the guise of making a run or punting?

Just remember what Mara told us in March at the League Meetings in Florida.

“I hate trading guys right at the trade deadline,” Mara said. “Because it almost signals that you’re giving up on the season.”

That’s the backdrop under which Schoen will be operating between now and Tuesday’s 4 p.m. trade deadline. It’s extremely unlikely the Giants will look to add any players given their current place in the standings and a focus on the future yet again.

NY Giants NFL trade deadline rumors, news 

This section will be updated as trades occur and relevant news about potential trade targets becomes available.

The latest: Azeez Ojulari speculation heating up

Azeez Ojulari walked out of the locker room he has called home Sunday night with no assurances that he would remain with the Giants. There has been strong indication that Ojulari could be headed elsewhere, and even though he said all the right things following the latest Giants loss, the feeling internally is that the 24-year-old pass rusher had played his last game with the franchise that drafted him.

“I haven’t been told anything. I’m just taking it one day at a time,” Ojulari said. “.I’m getting ready for next week. This is where I got drafted. Blessed to be here. Trying to make the most of every opportunity I get.”

Reunion of the Ojulari brothers on tap?

Teams to keep in mind if Ojulari does get dealt: the Arizona Cardinals, which would bring about a reunion with younger brother B.J., who suffered a torn ACL in the summer; the Atlanta Falcons, which would represent a homecoming; the Cincinnati Bengals; and the Detroit Lions, who lost Aidan Hutchinson and could use juice for their pass rush.

Look, the Ojulari trade debate is a complicated one. The Giants should see if he’d bite at an extension because of his injury history, but that’s unlikely to happen. He’s made the most of his chance with Kayvon Thibodeaux sidelined, but when Thibodeaux returns – he’s eligible following Sunday’s game, but likely will be back post-bye – Ojulari is clearly No. 3.

What’s his value on the market? If it’s a Day 3 pick, I’d rather keep Ojulari, let him finish out the season and reset. If I get nothing for him, so be it. I don’t think it’s an easy decision.

On Saturday, Ojulari’s name was mentioned as a possible target in reports from The Athletic, ESPN and NFL Network.

NY Giants trade deadline options 

  • AZEEZ OJULARI, OLB, GIANTS: Ojulari is making the most of an opportunity with five sacks in the last three games, but Kayvon Thibodeaux’s return is on the horizon. Ojulari is a pending free agent who may garner more on the market than the Giants would be willing to pay with Brian Burns and Thibodeaux as starters  
  • DARIUS SLAYTON, WR, GIANTS: Slayton’s consistency over the course of his career continues to get overlooked. He’s held off 2023 third-round pick Jalin Hyatt and is a solid WR2 behind Malik Nabers. Should the Giants deal him for a pick or consider keeping him around with another extension.  UPDATE: Slayton was injured late in Sunday’s loss to the Commanders and landed in concussion protocol. So his status and availability with the trade deadline approaching is a big question mark.
  • EVAN NEAL, OL, GIANTS: The 2022 No. 7 overall pick was projected as the starting right tackle going into training camp, but a slow recovery from offseason ankle surgery has kept him out of the mix. Is a change of scenery most beneficial for everyone, or will the Giants take a longer term approach to getting Neal right? 

Will NY Giants trade Azeez Ojulari?

Ojulari has six sacks, second-most on the team behind league leader Dexter Lawrence. Five of those have come since he replaced the injured Kayvon Thibodeaux in the starting lineup. There’s no question teams will be looking to add pass rush help. With Thibodeaux on the verge of returning from wrist surgery over the next few weeks and Ojulari on the final year of his rookie contract, the Giants could make a deal if the assets are juicy enough.

When is NFL trade deadline? 

The 2024 NFL trade deadline is Tuesday, Nov. 5.

When does NFL trade deadline end? 

The 2024 NFL trade deadline ends at 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Nov. 5. Following that time, players cannot be traded until the new league year that begins in March 2025.

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