Giants add CB Paulson Adebo, re-sign WR Darius Slayton
New Orleans Saints cornerback Paulson Adebo. Credit: AP/Peter Joneleit
On the first day NFL teams could negotiate with unrestricted free agents, the Giants handled key priorities Monday. But they’re still waiting to fix their biggest one.
The Giants didn’t agree to any deals with quarterbacks and watched several find new homes. Sam Darnold agreed to a reported three-year deal with the Seahawks and Justin Fields agreed to a two-year deal with the Jets.
It kept the Giants in limbo waiting on perhaps Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson or another answer. They did take care of other key needs, though, including re-signing receiver Darius Slayton.
The Giants agreed to a deal with former Saints cornerback Paulson Adebo, a league source confirmed. They also added Jaguars defensive tackle Roy Robertson-Harris, Browns offensive tackle James Hudson III and Ravens linebacker Chris Board.
All of the agreements, except for Adebo, were announced by the Giants. Late Monday, the Giants also agreed to a deal with Cowboys defensive end Chauncey Golston, according to multiple reports.
Slayton’s return was a mild surprise. The six-year veteran took a $1.6 million pay cut in 2022, then skipped the start of voluntary workouts last spring in hopes of a new deal after signing a two-year, $12.2 million contract in 2023.
Slayton’s new deal is for three years and $36 million, according to multiple reports. It not only rewards one of the team’s most productive receivers but keeps someone who was a mentor in a young receiver room and active in the community.
Slayton was third on the Giants in receptions (39) and receiving yards (573) last season and was the team’s nominee for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award. Before 2024 and the arrival of Malik Nabers, he led the Giants in receiving four of the previous five seasons.
“I think I’ve shown that I’m a good football player, a positive impact on the offense that I’ve been a part of,” Slayton said. “That’s really a primary goal, to just get somewhere or be a part of an offense that I can be an integral part of each every Sunday.”
As for the Giants’ new acquisitions, they’ll hope to fill gaping holes on a team that finished 3-14 last season.
Adebo agreed to a three-year contract worth $54 million, with $36 million guaranteed, according to reports.
Adebo, 25, helps a Giants secondary that struggled to make plays last season or develop a No. 1 cornerback with Deonte Banks struggling in his first two seasons. Adebo is coming off a broken femur that limited him to seven games last season.
When healthy, the former 2021 third-round pick out of Stanford is a proven ballhawk. In four seasons with New Orleans, Adebo had 10 interceptions in 52 games, with 51 starts. He had four interceptions in 2023 and three interceptions last season.
The Giants collectively had five interceptions in 2024 and had an NFL-record 11 consecutive games without one.
If there were worries about Adebo’s recovery, he posted a 57-second video on social media last week of him doing a backflip and running through several drills to show off his mobility.
It’s a good sign that he can help improve a defense that was called out by team president John Mara. “We need to make improvements there,” Mara said in January. “I’m tired of watching teams go up and down the field on us. So I think that has to be addressed.”
Adebo will be reunited with a former college teammate in linebacker Bobby Okereke, who played alongside Adebo at Stanford for two seasons in 2017-18.
Robertson-Harris’ deal is for two years and a reported $10 million, according to NFL Network. He played six games with the Jaguars last season and 11 with Seattle. From 2021-23, he started 47 of his 48 games with the Jags.
An eight-year veteran, Robertson-Harris played in 117 games with three teams, including his five seasons with the Bears after signing as an undrafted free agent. He’ll give the Giants more depth on their interior defensive line to relieve pressure off All-Pro tackle Dexter Lawrence. When Lawrence suffered a season-ending injury on Thanksgiving, the Giants turned to a mix of rookies and practice squad signees to help add depth.
Golston, who agreed to a three-year deal for $19.5 million, according to NFL Network, had a career-best 5 1/2 sacks last season, his first as a primary starter. A former third-round draft pick in 2021, Golston started 13 games in 2024 and could add depth alongside edge rushers Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux.
Hudson’s deal also is two years for at least $12 million, with up to an additional $4 million in incentives, according to the NFL Network. Hudson spent his first four seasons with the Browns but was limited to four games last season because of shoulder surgery. The Giants need more depth at tackle after left tackle Andrew Thomas has battled injuries the last two seasons.
Board reportedly agreed to a two-year deal worth up to $6 million. He has mostly played on special teams in his seven-year career, including five seasons in Baltimore.
Wednesday is the first day of the free-agent period, and the Giants could be waiting until then to find their next quarterback. Rodgers can’t sign with a team until then because that’s when the Jets could release him and designate him as a post-July 1 cut to save money. Wilson also is in play and Jameis Winston could be, too.
Evan Barnes covers the Giants for Newsday. He previously covered the Brooklyn Nets, Memphis football and the Memphis Grizzlies and also covered prep sports in Los Angeles.
