It can all be a blur, how a player can go from an overachiever to a contributor to a disappointment to a failure, in the minds of those who prefer to view careers in absolutes and focus on the extremes.
Darius Slayton was not a great player for the Giants. But for a fifth-round draft pick who had to endure more than his share of shaky quarterback scenarios, lasting seven years and leaving with 296 receptions and 22 touchdowns is not too shabby. And it should not be discounted that his career average of 15.0 yards per catch ranks higher than franchise reception leader Amani Toomer (14.2), Odell Beckham Jr. (14.0) or Hakeem Nicks (14.7) and on par with Plaxico Burress (15.1).
Slayton was not better than those former Giants receivers, but he wasn’t chopped liver, either. His time in blue ended Monday, when he was released, the sobering result of a rough summer for him.
Look no further than the double hernia surgery Slayton underwent in the offseason, a procedure that left him several notches below his usual physical standard. Slayton did not run with the fluidity he possessed before the injury, and that was problematic when it came to his opportunity to impress the new coaching staff.
