Giants Hybrid Could Make ‘Significant Contribution’ After Unexpected Spring

Getty New York Giants tight end Lawrence Cager was called the "biggest surprise" of NYG minicamp and OTAs.

The New York Giants are living in a post-Darren Waller world now, and maybe that’s for the best.

After a long offseason of indecision, Big Blue finally received the answer they were waiting on when the veteran tight end announced his retirement on June 9 — and that presents an opportunity for younger pieces at the position. One potential successor being 26-year-old backup Lawrence Cager.

“It looked this spring like Cager and fourth-round pick Theo Johnson will be asked to fill [Waller’s] pass-catching role,” ESPN beat reporter Jordan Raanan wrote on June 24, highlighting the former as a “surprise” standout during minicamp and OTAs.

While Raanan noted that both Cager and Johnson received some first-team reps and “made plays in what primarily serves as a passing camp,” he thought the more experienced of the two did enough to prove that he can make “a significant contribution this season.”

Cager, who began his NFL career as a wide receiver, is a 6-foot-5 TE hybrid that sort of mirrors Waller both physically and athletically. After serving as his understudy during the 2023 campaign, the Giants could try him out as Waller’s direct replacement rather than rush Johnson in his development.

“Coach Brian Daboll even mentioned that Cager was ‘probably one of the most improved players throughout the offseason,’” the NYG media member added. Is Cager being overlooked at tight end as we head toward training camp and the preseason?

Lawrence Cager Showed Promise in First Season With Giants

The Giants actually swiped Cager off waivers in 2022, and he showed a lot of promise that season.

After entering the league as a former undrafted talent out of Georgia, the pass-catcher latched on with the New York Jets and Cleveland Browns over his first couple of seasons but failed to make an impact on offense. Only in year three did Cager break out a bit as a receiving threat, and he did so with Daboll and Big Blue.

In 2022, Cager caught 13 of 18 targets for 118 yards and a touchdown over six NFL appearances. He added another 20 receiving yards in two playoff outings. It wasn’t a huge season by any means, but the newly bulked up tight end was productive.

Then the Giants traded for Waller, a better version of Cager in just about every way — outside of age. And the latter’s opportunities dried up.

In more of a special teams role last season, Cager learned behind Waller. He did catch four passes for another 36 yards and a touchdown but didn’t do too much on offense beyond that.

With Waller officially gone, it’ll be interesting to see how Cager takes advantage of this newfound opportunity in 2024.

Tight End Room Appears to Be Wide Open After Darren Waller Retirement

The Giants have not made it clear who will be replacing Waller as the starter this season, and maybe that’s because they have not decided yet.

2022 fourth rounder Daniel Bellinger was the favorite for the job before sitting out most of OTAs for undisclosed reasons. He’s still the likely starter when Big Blue needs an in-line tight end that can block and receive, but is he first up during clear pass-catching sets?

That’s where Cager and Johnson come in, and those two appear to be in an open competition.

As a promising draft pick, the position is probably Johnson’s to lose long-term, but perhaps Cager can beat him out this summer as he adjusts to the NFL game. The Giants also have veteran blocking TEs Jack Stoll and Chris Manhertz — who could be duking it out for one spot — as well as 2023 practice squad fixture Tyree Jackson.

The tight end room just got a whole lot spicier heading into training camp.