Tight Ends

     Last but certainly not least we have the tight end position. You're favorite team's safety net if you will. When you need a quick 5-yard gain, they are your man. They go out for contested catches, block for your running back, and do almost everything a player can do on offense other than throw the ball. Tight Ends have made a slow shift over the years from being primary run blockers and third-down threats to being oversized wide receivers. Players like Travis Kelce, George Kittle, and Mark Andrews show this immensely. Most top tight ends nowadays are used very heavily in the passing game, and it become almost essential to any team. Today we'll take a look at the Giant's two TEs and any possible additions they can make.

    First up we have Darren Waller, the former Raider and Pro Bowl Tight End. Waller was traded to the Giants for a third-round pick last off-season and was expected to be Daniel Jones's number-one threat down the field. Through the first few weeks of the season, Waller was leading almost all tight ends in receiving yards and looked to be on pace for a great year. Unfortunately, Waller would get hurt and injuries would just pile up throughout the year, affecting his play. When he plays Waller is a good as the top TE's in the league but the issue lies in that statement, if he plays. Waller has a rough injury history and unfortunately, it most likely will continue to do so.

    Now that would have been it for his segment but recently something came out on Waller. Per NFL  writer Kevin Patra on March 7th, Darren Waller has been mulling retirement and is expected to make a decision relatively soon. This is a game-changer for the Giants if Waller chooses to retire. It would not only free up cap space but would also leave the Giants with one tight end on the roster. Why does this matter? Most teams carry two to three tight ends. Now you can obviously pick up a tight end out of free agency but let's say Waller retires next Monday, one whole week after free agency has started. By that point, the best available tight ends might have already signed elsewhere. Another thing that could happen is the Giants don't have enough money to sign someone they really want but if they had the money Waller would free up by retiring they could have signed him. If Waller decides to retire, it has to happen sooner rather than later.

    Moving on to the Giant's other tight end on the roster, we have Daniel Bellinger. Bellinger is an interesting case, he just finished his second year in the league and if Waller retires he would immediately become the Giants starting tight end. In his rookie year, Bellinger had a much bigger role due to the Giant's tight end room only having him and a few veterans who were of similar skill level. However, despite his role decreasing with the addition of Waller this past year, Bellinger had similar numbers to his rookie year. With around 250 yards receiving in both years and 1-2 touchdowns as well.

    I personally really like Bellinger. My favorite trait of his is that he's a damn good blocker. You don't see as many great blocking tight ends nowadays and Bellinger breaks that mold. He loves to go out and put someone on the ground, and that's something to admire. He's a typical tight end with all things considered. He isn't a dominant pass catcher but he gets the job done and he blocks with all the force you want. Waller retiring would be a big blow to the Giants but Bellinger would step up and do just fine.

    It's hard to tell what the Giants will do about the tight end position as of the time I'm writing this. Without knowing if Darren Waller will be with the team or not, giving insight on what they should do is difficult. If Waller were to retire, I can see Big Blue signing a veteran from free agency and then drafting another tight end. If Waller were to stay, then most likely the Giants would just bring in a veteran minimum tight end to fill out the roster.

    Next time I'll be taking a look at the Giant's safety position and discussing how the recent hole Xavier McKinney left could be filled. Stay tuned for that