The New York Giants provided quarterback Daniel Jones will a legitimate pass-catching threat as they reportedly traded the Las Vegas Raiders for star Darren Waller.
The addition to the passing game is all the more noteworthy given the deal was conducted at the same time an underwhelming class of receivers was hitting free agency.
It was an underlying reason behind the Giants’ decision to part with a third-rounder, as shared by NFL Media’s Mike Garafolo.
“I know the Giants have been nosing around the wide receiver free agent market, but they’re not going to overspend there, or spend just to spend in that market,” Garafolo said Tuesday afternoon on NFL Network. “It’s not a great receiver class. so what they’re trying to do is say, ‘Alright, what are the other options for us to go get ourselves a target and a guy who can do some things down the field for Daniel Jones.’”
Waller enters New York with that ability when healthy.
The 30-year-old tight end has has a pair of underwhelming campaigns due to being limited to nine games in 2022 and 11 games in 2021. Prior to that, however, Waller put together consecutive seasons with 1,100-plus yards. He caught 107 balls with nine touchdowns during his Pro Bowl campaign in 2020 and had 90 receptions in 2019.
He’ll now join a team in New York that desperately needed help in the passing game. And now the Giants can try to attract some mid-market receivers to complement Waller.
