ESPN NFL insider says Carolina Panthers 'make sense' as a team that could sign one of the top free agents of the offseason
ESPN NFL insider Jeremy Fowler says the Carolina Panthers "make sense" as a team that could sign one of the top available free agents this offseason. New York Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton is ranked by ESPN as the No. 36 overall free agent this offseason. And Fowler thinks the Panthers are a team that […]
ESPN NFL insider Jeremy Fowler says the Carolina Panthers "make sense" as a team that could sign one of the top available free agents this offseason.
New York Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton is ranked by ESPN as the No. 36 overall free agent this offseason.
And Fowler thinks the Panthers are a team that could be a fit for Slayton.
From ESPN: Don't sleep on a robust free agency for Slayton. Several teams will be looking for top-end speed on the outside, and Slayton has that. He paid his dues in a bad offense and will likely be looking for a Darnell Mooney-type contract (three years, $39 million). Carolina would make some sense here.
Slayton, a former Auburn Tigers standout, just wrapped up his sixth season in the NFL (all spent with the Giants).
The veteran wide receiver has never put up gaudy numbers in New York, but he's been consistent — averaging 650 receiving yards and 3.5 touchdowns per season over his six year career (it doesn't help that Slayton has dealt with poor quarterback play during most of his tenure in New York).
"Slayton caught 39 passes and averaged 14.2 yards per reception in 2024 despite subpar QB play," wrote Fowler of Slayton. "He's a vertical stretch target on the perimeter who can also work the in-breaking cuts in the route tree. And he has ability to make explosive plays, with 58 receptions of 20 or more yards over his six seasons with the Giants."
Landing Slayton, who managed to hold off former Tennessee Vols wide receiver Jalin Hyatt for a starting job with the Giants in 2024 (Hyatt is a player that New York traded up for in the 2023 NFL Draft), would add a solid vertical threat to the Panthers' offense for quarterback Bryce Young. Slayton isn't a guy who's going to be a No. 1 wide receiver, but he could help provide an explosive element to Carolina's offense.
