The Raiders' offense already will look a lot different in 2023 with Jimmy Garoppolo set to be the starting quarterback and Jakobi Meyers joining Davante Adams and Hunter Renfrow at wide receiver.
Following their decision to reunite Garoppolo and Meyers with offensive-minded coach Josh McDaniels in free agency, they decided to move on from tight end Darren Waller — the former go-to guy of their former top QB, Derek Carr. While Carr landed with New Orleans and the Saints, Waller is headed to New York and the Giants after the Raiders traded him.
It might seem curious that Las Vegas would move Waller after just adding to its offense, but the smart spending on Garoppolo and Meyers is helping them to quickly turn their focus to making much-needed defensive improvements around stud edge rusher Maxx Crosby. Here's how dealing Waller fits into that plan.
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Darren Waller trade grades
Raiders get:
- 2023 third-round draft pick (No. 100 overall)
Giants get:
- TE Darren Waller
Raiders grade: A
The Raiders made a bad financial decision to make Waller the highest-paid tight end in the game right before his durability dropped off past the age of 30.
The late-blooming former Ravens project has a great personal story in how he overcame off-field issues to be a star receiver, but after two spectacular seasons in 2019 and 2020, Waller has played in only 20 of the past 34 games. He was hamstrung for much of last year going back the offseason in July and landed on IR, playing only 9 games.
Waller will be 31 in September right as the 2023 NFL season starts. The Raiders, by trading him, will save $11.38 million in salary cap money with little dead money, $660,000. After making bargain signings with Garoppolo (3 years, $67.5 million) and Meyers (3 years, $33 million), it made sense to move on.
McDaniels can simply pivot to more dynamic 11 personnel (three wide receivers) with Meyers in the mix, or GM Dave Ziegler and Raiders could also target a tight end in a deep draft for the position as early as taking Notre Dame's Michael Mayer at No. 7 overall. Luckily, they found a willing and desperate trade partner for the cap relief.
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Giants grade: C
Waller is a plus savvy talent for a team short on receiving options that just paid quarterback Daniel Jones $160 million over four years. But the Giants have a promising young receiving tight end in Daniel Bellinger and Brian Daboll and Mike Kafka can't count on a fading, aging Waller to suddenly regain Pro Bowl form and be effective in the range of Dawson Knox to Travis Kelce, tight ends on their previous teams.
Waller is more a name. He peaked with his athletic game and 6-6, 238-pound frame. Staying healthy and available going forward is no sure bet. The Giants also still have a ton of work to do to upgrade wide receiver, and in the end, they essentially traded 2021 first-rounder Kadarius Toney for Waller — they got No. 100 overall from the Chiefs for Toney.
This isn't a game-changing move for the Giants. It's more of an expensive veteran flyer that might end up having little-to-average impact.
