you’re happy with, even though the record is what it is,” he said. ”There is progress that you’re going to see on the back end, in the light,

EAST RUTHERFORD Jordan Scarlett Jersey , N.J. (AP) — It’s rare for a team’s fifth-round draft pick to catch the eye of a head coach in minicamp, well before NFL training camps begin in earnest late next month.Rookie wide receiver Darius Slayton has certainly made his presence felt for the New York Giants, however — especially when Slayton struggled with some dropped passes during the rookie minicamp in April.In fact, Slayton was matched up Thursday with first-round draft pick DeAndre Baker, much like the two were for three years in the highly competitive world of the SEC with Slayton at Auburn and cornerback Baker at Georgia.Although the two were not in full equipment Thursday, giving Slayton a bit of an advantage, Slayton simply ran away from the defender on two long passes, causing coach Pat Shurmur to take notice.“I think the guy who’s made huge improvements in my eyes has been Slayton,” Shurmur said. “He’s done a really good job. I think we were all here during rookie minicamp when he had the yips, drops and whatnot. He’s really smoothed it out and has been making plays. He’s the first guy that comes to mind in my eyes. This time of year, it’s more about throwing and catching and less about blocking and tackling.”Slayton was very appreciative of the coach’s kind words.“It’s definitely huge in my eyes and I’m glad he said what he did,” said Slayton, who was a high school state sprint champion in the 100- and 200-meter dashes in Georgia, much like new teammate Jabrill Peppers was in New Jersey during his high school days. “I’m trying to get better, so it means a lot to me that he took notice. It’s huge for me.”Slayton was a big-play receiver for Auburn, averaging more than 20 yards per catch during his three seasons, scoring 13 touchdowns. He also has good size, standing 6-foot-2 and weighing 190 pounds.But Slayton dropped to the fifth round of the draft after he could have returned to Auburn for another year. He then suffered through rookie minicamp.“The first day (of rookie minicamp), I think I was trying too hard as a rookie, wanting to be super Jonah Williams Jersey ,” Slayton said. “Definitely, the one thing I never lost sleep over was my speed. I know other guys can run, so it comes down to what guy has the best technique.”Slayton knew that he struggled and needed to make an impact this week. With Baker covering him during one portion of the workout, fellow rookie and top draft pick Daniel Jones hit Slayton with two big passes. One was deep down the sideline and another was across the middle that Slayton also took for a touchdown.“A couple of times, I caught the ball and ran down the field and said to myself, ‘Yeah, I can do this,'” Slayton said. “I got some beautiful throws from Dan. It was a beautiful play to be able to run away from people.”And once again, Slayton found himself embroiled with cornerback Baker, who has impressed Giants coaches so much that he was running a good portion of the workout with the starters, alongside veteran Janoris Jenkins.“He’s a very good player,” Slayton said of Baker. “He’s sneaky strong. He might not look like much in street clothes, but he’s a lot stronger than I thought. I thought he was the best cornerback in the draft. The last two years, I saw a lot of him. I always thought he was a good cornerback. He’s so physical.”Slayton said that he likes the chemistry he has with Jones.“He’s a strong guy who throws a great ball,” Slayton said. “It’s easy to work with a guy like that. I just have to get open and he’s going to get the ball to me.”The two went to the Rookie Premiere for three days in Los Angeles last month, with the NFL Players Association hosting 40 of the top rookies for trading card photos and other merchandising, courtesy of Fanatics and Panini America, the trading card partner of the NFLPA.“It was a good experience for me,” Slayton said. “I got to know Dan better. We were the only two Giants out there. I’m not much of a picture taker, so it was all new to me. It was the first time I was ever to the West Coast. We did a lot of talking together out there.”Baker was admittedly not at the top of his game against Slayton because he wasn’t in full uniform.“We’re definitely at a disadvantage http://www.bengalscheapshop.com/cheap-authentic-drew-sample-jersey , because if the receiver gets a free release without pressing, it’s kind of hard to do anything,” Baker said. “It makes you better with your different techniques. You really can’t get your hands on them (receivers) in minicamp. So it’s all off-coverage and mirroring the guy and getting your feet better. That’s all you can do right now.“We’re out there competing. They won some battles and I won some battles. It’s all good to compete. It’s a good atmosphere, the DBs versus the wide receivers. Let’s see what I can do before the pads come on.”Shurmur also likes what he’s seen of Baker thus far.“He is very competitive and he’s very tough,” Shurmur said. “The corners are at a little bit of a disadvantage because there is no bump and run. Part of his charm was his ability to play up on a receiver and bump him. We think we are going to see more good stuff once training camp gets going. He’s very competitive, he picks things up and he works hard. Those are the things you need to see.”NOTES: Tackle Nate Solder, still recovering from late offseason ankle surgery, is happy to be part of an improved offensive line this season. The Giants traded for veteran guard Kevin Zeitler from the Cleveland Browns and signed free agent tackle Mike Remmers from the Minnesota Vikings. “Kevin brings awesome intensity to our group,” Solder said. “I like having him as a teammate.I’m excited about having him with us. The more you get to know someone, the better you feel about him.” Second-year OG Will Hernandez agreed. “Me and Nate, we have been clicking together and understand each other well. We can read each other’s mind now. Me and him, we’ve come a long way together and we’re ready to get it going. Kevin is an awesome guy and a great teammate. He’s the lead guard here and I’m going to learn a lot from him.”.The Giants were slated to resume OTAs next Wednesday, but they pushed the workouts up a day to Tuesday instead. Drop into just about any bank or supermarket or sports bar in the Kansas City metro area these days and there’s a good chance you’ll see one of several photographs from just a few years ago hanging on a wall.

It might be Yordano Ventura unleashing a fastball. Or Eric Hosmer sliding into home at Citi Field in New York. Or Wade Davis with his arms thrust high into the air, his blazing fastball having just closed out Game 5 of the World Series and making the Kansas City Royals the world champions.

More than likely, you’ll find the now-iconic photograph of Union Station, where an estimated 400,000 people turned out to celebrate the club’s first title in three decades.

Those photos are reminders of better times. And how quickly things can change.

The Royals, who were indeed baseball royalty in 2015, are now neck and neck with the Orioles for the worst record in baseball. They’ve traded off their star closer, their best players are struggling and the prospects that might one day raise them from the abyss are years away from joining the club.

”The record is what it is. The hitting is what it is. The pitching is what it is Germaine Pratt Jersey ,” said Royals manager Ned Yost, who presided over the rebuild that led to back-to-back World Series appearances. ”I have to continue to lead. We have to make sure this year has not been a waste.”

How did things fall apart so quickly?

To start, the Royals doled out big contracts to players that have not produced. Left fielder Alex Gordon consumes 14 percent of the payroll in the third year of a $72 million, four-year deal, but he’s hitting just .247 with five homers and 15 RBIs. Right-hander Ian Kennedy consumes 11 percent of the payroll in the third year of a $70 million, five-year deal, and he’s 1-8 with a 5.11 ERA.

The few stars that remain on the roster have likewise struggled to produce.

Salvador Perez likely will see his streak of five straight All-Star games end. The catcher, in the third year of a $52 million, six-year deal, is hitting .255 with 11 homers and 33 RBIs.

Good luck winning many games that way.

The Royals were 25-61 heading into their off day Thursday and had lost 24 of their last 28 games. They needed to go 38-38 the rest of the way just to avoid the ignominy of 100 losses.

Making things worse: The Royals are losing that many games with a payroll of about $144 million.

Another reason for the precipitous slide was year after year of poor drafts. Only one of their 13 first-round picks since 2010 is currently on the 25-man roster; Hunter Dozier is hitting .223 in 44 games as he struggles to lock down an everyday job.

”As a young guy you know you’re going to fail, and in some ways we want you to fail because that’s how you’re going to get better,” said Yost, who is going through the same slow learning process with infielder and erstwhile top prospect Adalberto Mondesi.

The son of longtime big leaguer Raul Mondesi, he is hitting .214 in 42 at-bats this season.

”We also don’t want to heap too much on their shoulders,” Yost said, ”so it’s balancing act.”

Maybe that’s why the Royals have been slow to gut their roster in favor of a complete rebuild, even if that appears to be coming. They’ve already traded utility outfielder Jon Jay to the Diamondbacks and star closer Kelvin Herrera to the Nationals, getting five prospects in return that the Royals hope will help restock a farm system that remains one of the worst in baseball.

More moves could be coming, too. The Royals are hopeful of trading third baseman Mike Moustakas, who signed a one-year deal when no long-term offers materialized last offseason. Versatile infielder Whit Merrifield could land a few solid prospects http://www.bengalscheapshop.com/cheap-authentic-ryan-finley-jersey , and left-hander Danny Duffy and even Perez could be made available, though both have torpedoed their value with poor seasons.

The combination of an old and bad team has been made even worse by the fact that the Royals are, well, pretty boring. They don’t hit an abundance of homers. Their starting rotation includes the first two pitchers to hit 10 losses in the majors. There are no young stars yet worth watching.

As a result, the Royals are drawing an average of 20,283 fans to Kauffman Stadium. That’s a drop of more than 7,000 from last season and more than 13,000 from their championship season.

Still, for all the gloom, the typically irascible Yost has taken a decidedly optimistic approach to this season. He’s been through these long and painful rebuilds and come out the other side.

It takes patience. It takes smart moves. It takes more patience.

”There’s a lot of things to look at that you’re happy with, even though the record is what it is,” he said. ”There is progress that you’re going to see on the back end, in the light, just as we did in 2013 and 2014, when we turned the corner the last time.”

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