When the New York Giants swung a trade to acquire tight end Darren Waller from the Las Vegas Raiders last offseason, they expected much more than what they got in his debut campaign.
Waller was banged up for much of 2023, playing in just 12 games. During his time on the field, Waller produced, logging 52 catches for 552 yards and a touchdown, but if he is not healthy enough to play regularly, it kind of defeats the purpose of keeping him long term.
John Fennelly of Giants Wire thinks the Giants should give serious consideration to cutting Waller this offseason in order to save some money.
If New York releases Waller after June 1, it would only cost the team about $2.5 million in dead cap money over the final three years of his current deal. That would save the Giants around $40 million, which is significant cash that they could use to improve the roster elsewhere. It would open up $12 million for Big Blue to spend this offseason.
“With all the young stud tight ends coming out of the college ranks these days, the Giants might simply be better off going in a different direction at tight end right now,” wrote Fennelly.
There is no doubt that Waller is a fine pass-catcher when healthy, but he hasn’t played a full season since 2020. As a matter of fact, over the last three years, the 31-year-old has appeared in a grand total of 32 contests.
Waller, who played his collegiate football at Georgia Tech, was originally selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the fifth round of the 2015 NFL Draft.
His most productive years to date, however, came with the Raiders. Most notably, Waller posted back-to-back 1,000-yard campaigns in 2019 and 2020, earning a trip to the Pro Bowl in the latter campaign.
The Giants went just 5-12 this season.
Want the latest NFL analysis, breaking news, and insider information? Click here. Interested in reading storylines and analysis about the NBA? Check out our partner NBA Analysis Network.
