Giants TE Lawrence Cager Praised by Brian Daboll As a Spring Standout

The Giants are looking to revamp their tight end room following Darren Waller's retirement.

East Rutherford, NJ -- June 11, 2024 -- Tight end Lawrence Cager at the NY Giants Mandatory Minicamp at their practice facility in East Rutherford, NJ. / Chris Pedota, NorthJersey.com / USA

With tight end Darren Waller's retirement this offseason, the New York Giants tight end room is set to look very different in 2024.

Third-year man Daniel Bellinger projects to be TE1, a role he previously held as a rookie until the Giants traded for Waller last off-season, and rookie fourth-round draft pick Theo Johnson projects to be TE2.

The third tight end spot, though, is up for grabs among candidates like Jack Stoll, Chris Manhertz, and Lawrence Cager. 

The identity of the third tight end will depend on whether the coaching staff wants a pure blocker like Manhertz or Stoll or another potential receiver like Cager, who had a solid spring.

"I've been very happy with Cage," head coach Brian Daboll said about CAger, a converted wide receiver who joined the Giants off waivers from the Jets midway through the 2022 season.

"Probably one of the most improved players throughout the offseason that we've had relative to playing fast, being able to use his speed, not thinking, being in the system here for a little bit.”

• RELATED: New York Giants 2024 Training Camp Preview: TE Lawrence Cager

Cager, 6-5 and 220 pounds, played his college ball at Miami (Florida) and Georgia. He was signed by the Jets in 2020 as an undrafted free agent, spending his rookie season on their practice squad,

In 2021, he was with the Cleveland Browns practice squad, and then in 2022, he returned to the Jets, where he switched from receiver to tight end.

Since arriving at the Giants, Cager has appeared in 17 games with three starts and has caught 17 of 23 pass targets for 154 yards and two touchdowns, posting an impressive 56.5 percent success rate in picking up at least 40 percent of the first down yardage, 60 percent of the second down yardage and 100 percent of the third- and fourth-down yardage. 

Cager finished the 2023 season on injured reserve with a groin issue. He was re-signed to a one-year contract worth $1.055 million earlier this year and will look to solidify his place on the roster.

So far, so good for the 26-year-old Baltimore native.

"I've been very happy with his progress,” Daboll said. “He's got a great schedule. He has come in really early. He's taken to the coaching from (tight ends coach) Tim Kelly. He has had a really good camp.”   

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