The retirement of TE Darren Waller leaves obvious opportunity at the position among Giants. And there might be a surprise candidate for significant target share. ESPN's Jordan Ranaan writes that "it looked this spring like [Lawrence] Cager and fourth-round pick Theo Johnson will be asked to fill that pass-catching role." He added that HC Brian Daboll called Cager "probably one of the most improved players throughout the offseason." Not mentioned in the brief write-up: TE Daniel Bellinger.
TE Darren Waller has told the Giants that he will retire, according to both NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and ESPN's Jordan Ranaan. This confirms the news we passed along a little less than a week ago. It sets up Daniel Bellinger as the likeliest season-opening starter at TE, with rookie Theo Johnson competing for time. Neither makes for an exciting 2024 fantasy football option, though you could take a shot on either low in TE3 range of your best ball draft.
ESPN's Jordan Ranaan reports that Giants TE Darren Waller is expected to announce next week whether he'll play this season -- and that "people in and around the team expect that he's going to retire." The team has a two-day mandatory minicamp starting on June 11. Waller's expected to deliver his decision ahead of that.
The Giants selected Penn State TE Theo Johnson in Round 4 of the NFL Draft. A converted WR, Johnson spent four years with the Nittany Lions – two as a full-time starter. Career-best numbers surfaced as a senior, but he wasn’t a major performer (34-341-7). He accounted for 13.8% of the team’s catches, 12.2% of the receiving yards, and 20.3% of the receiving TDs. He managed just 1.26 yards per route run -- down from the 1.58 figure he tallied as a junior. The real promise here lies in Johnson’s athletic gifts, which helped him to play all over the formation (47.9% inline, 38.8% slot, 9.8% wide). At 6’6, 259 pounds, he’s simply a rare athlete. Look no further than his Combine performance, which included a 4.57 forty, a 39.5-inch vertical, a 125-inch broad jump, and a 4.19 shuttle. Altogether, Johnson posted a historic 9.99 Relative Athletic Score. Now, his game needs refinement – most notably in his route running. Johnson also found himself in two off-field incidents that led to misdemeanors. He joins a Giants team that’s still waiting to hear whether TE Darren Waller will continue his football career. If not, TE Daniel Bellinger would stand as Johnson’s top competition for snaps. That’d give the rookie an outside shot at 2024 fantasy value – although he’s more of a dynasty bench stash.
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