Giants TE Darren Waller.
Getty The New York Giants still have a hole at tight end without Darren Waller.

After Darren Waller elected to retire ahead of minicamp, the New York Giants were left with a decision to make at tight end. Roll with a group made up of Daniel Bellinger, Lawrence Cager, rookie Theo Johnson and a collection of journeymen or reinforce their TE room with a new addition.

So far, head coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen have chosen the former. Having said that, there is still obvious room for improvement at the position — especially with Johnson on the PUP list to begin training camp and Bellinger ramping up more slowly than usual this summer.

On July 26, Bleacher Report writer Alex Ballentine suggested a potential solution that could compete with Bellinger, Cager and Johnson for the starting role. And he isn’t expected to cost much via trade with the Las Vegas Raiders.

Giants get: TE Harrison Bryant, 2026 seventh-round pick.
Raiders get: 2026 sixth-round pick.
Bryant is a former fourth-round selection of the Cleveland Browns that has shown flashes throughout his NFL career despite never being the number one guy in an offense. He’s still young, having only turned 26 years old in April, plus the 6-foot-5 talent already has 10 career touchdowns and three 200-plus-yard campaigns.

Brock Bowers Surprise & Darren Waller Decision Factor in Giants-Raiders Trade Theory
Ballentine didn’t just throw this idea out there without an explanation. Two players factored into his theory in particular.

“The Raiders signed Harrison Bryant to a one-year, $3.3 million contract in March, but couldn’t have factored in drafting Brock Bowers at the time,” Ballentine reasoned. “Drafting the rookie phenomenon out of Georgia probably puts Bryant third in the tight end pecking order right away [behind Bowers and 2023 second rounder Michael Mayer].”

“Meanwhile, the Giants might have pursued a free agent tight end a little harder if Waller had announced his retirement before June,” the Bleacher Report analyst went on. Noting that “here, both clubs get a chance for a redo.”

Ballentine figured that Bryant, a former Mackey Award winner, could “help out New York” until Johnson has developed into an NFL tight end.

Would Pick Swap Be Enough Incentive for Raiders to Send Away Harrison Bryant?
It makes sense that the Raiders would be willing to get something for Bryant after Bowers fell to them in the draft but would a late-round pick swap be enough of an incentive to give up a quality player in July or August?

That question would likely depend on how the remainder of the Raiders tight end room looks at training camp. Las Vegas has three other TEs that could push for a spot on the active roster — fifth-year pro Zach Gentry and prospects Cole Fotheringham and John Samuel Shenker.

If one or two were to impress, they’d probably be more willing to trade away Bryant and save some cap space.

Lawrence Cager Has Turned Heads at Giants Camp
While trading for Bryant on the cheap sounds like a smart idea, it’s possible that Big Blue already has the solution on the roster. Cager has been an early standout at Giants camp, catching touchdowns from Daniel Jones and Drew Lock already.

Drew Lock goes deep to Lawrence Cager!

The pass-catcher even linked up with third-string quarterback Tommy DeVito for a highlight on July 26.

“Could see Cager having a bigger role than people expect as [a] reviving TE,” SNY’s Connor Hughes voiced on July 24. Similarly, Big Blue View’s Ed Valentine listed Cager as a player that has seen his stock rise at training camp early on.