Last season at this time, the New York Giants were uncertain about what they had in their tight end room. They had just drafted Daniel Bellinger out of San Diego State and were hoping he would walk right out on the field and take the position over.
That actually ended up happening and worked well until Bellinger suffered an eye socket injury mid-season, derailing him for a month. The Giants turned to a slew of journeymen (Tanner Hudson, Nick Vannett, Lawrence Cager, Chris Myarick) to fill the role until Bellinger returned.
That led to the realization that in a tight end world, the Giants needed to modernize and upgrade at the position. This offseason, they traded for the Las Vegas Raiders’ former Pro Bowler Darren Waller and signed Buffalo Bills backup Tommy Sweeney.
In addition, Bellinger showed up OTAs last month looking like a WWE star. He’s visibly much more muscular and stronger after learning he’ll likely be a blocker more often than a receiver this season.
“Our strength staff, they do a good job of talking with the players, developing a plan. I’m not sure if with Bellinger the biceps was a major part of that,” offensive coordinator Mike Kafak said on Thursday at OTAs.
“He’s done a nice job of that. He came in great shape. He has done a great job. He’s taken a nice step from Year 1 to Year 2. He’s continuing to grow. That’s what we’re looking for.”
When asked what role Bellinger — and the other tight ends — will play this season, Kafka didn’t add any clarity.
“We’re kind of at that stage right now of just identifying what those roles are. I don’t think there’s anything set in stone. It’s just going to continue to grow as we get through the off-season and into training camp and the season,” he said.
One thing is for sure, though. Waller will be a key cog in the offense and many believe he’ll actually lead the team in receiving targets this year.
Kafka is notably impressed with what Waller brings to the offense and the experience and leadership he adds to the locker room and huddle.
“He’s a really talented player. He’s a great person. He’s a really good teammate. That’s one thing I’ve learned about him. He cares about his guys. He’s competitive, which we really like. We value that here,” Kafka said.
This year will surely be different than last year for many reasons. It’s Year 2 of the Brian Daboll/Mike Kafka era on offense and players are on better footing.
“They’re doing a great job, they’re flying around, they’re communicating well,” he said. “When you get into year two of the offense, things are obviously a little bit more smooth because you’ve heard it already a few more times, you’ve been through some of those situations already, you have some stuff that you can fall back on.”
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