The New York Giants made a big splash this offseason, acquiring Darren Waller from the Las Vegas Raiders and placing him firmly at the top of their tight end depth chart.
Behind Waller is ascending second-year tight end Daniel Bellinger, who experienced tremendous growth as a rookie despite sustaining an ugly eye injury that caused him to miss some time.
The Giants also signed the 6-foot-5 Tommy Sweeney in free agency. He came over from the Buffalo Bills where general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll worked with him from 2019 through 2021.
Other players on the roster include Chris Myarick, who can play both tight end and fullback, as well as converted linebacker Ryan Jones.
Then there’s Lawrence Cager. A 6-foot-5, 250-pound former wide receiver who went undrafted in 2020 and has an extensive injury history dating back to his early college days. He initially signed with the New York Jets before making a stop with the Cleveland Browns and then returning to Gang Green, where he officially made the switch from receiver to tight end.
But that second stay was short-lived. Cager was waived last August and instead of signing to the Jets’ practice squad, he instead chose to join the Giants’ practice squad. There were familiar faces at 1925 Giants Drive, including Daboll, who had recruited Cager out of high school while he was coaching at Alabama.
“We got him, he had a lot to learn. I’d say he’s still got a lot to learn,” Daboll said of Cager on Wednesday. “He played receiver, he was a guy that I recruited when he was coming out of high school, too. So, I think he’s developing the skills he needs to play at the position. He’s an athletic young man but he’s going to need to do multiple things whether it’s in the kicking game, whether it’s be ready to go at tight end, but he’s had the right mindset.”
Tight ends coach Andy Bischoff, a former Baltimore Ravens assistant, was also familiar with Cager, the standout receiver from Baltimore’s Calvert Hall College High School.
“When I was with the Ravens I knew of him, I heard of him,” Bischoff told the New York Daily News in June. “So I had a little bit of history following his journey. It’s funny how all of that works out. He lands on our doorstep here. It’s a blessing for us.”
And then there was Waller himself — someone Cager had trained with long before either was on the Giants’ radar.
“I actually got with Darren and trained with him for a couple weeks, just to pick his brain and learn how he made the transition,” Cager told the Daily News. “What little things he did his first year making the transition, how he picked up playbooks, blocking, running routes, what was different from receiver coming to tight end.
“When he got traded here, as soon as he got traded, I sent him a text that said, ‘Yo, I’m gonna be like your little brother. I’m gonna be on your hip. I’m gonna be like your annoying little buzz in your ear. I’m trying to literally learn everything from you so I can duplicate it and be where you are, because that’s my main goal.”
That’s a lofty goal but Cager showed promise in Week 17 of last season. With the team’s starters all resting for the playoffs, Cager got the nod and in a start against the Philadelphia Eagles, hauled in eight receptions for 69 yards. He averaged just under 7.0 yards per target. He went on to record a reception in each of the Giants’ two playoff games.
The sample size may be small, but Cager is full of promise. He’s got the size, the speed, the athleticism, and the willingness to succeed at the NFL level. And although there is stiff competition at the position, he could be a sneaky option to not only make the 53-man roster but also contribute as a weapon offensively.
