2022 Giants Position Review: Tight Ends
The plight of the New York Giants' tight end position sort of mirrored that of the receivers in that initially, the Giants were counting on some different personnel to carry them through, only to have to shake things up due to injuries.
Veteran Ricky Seals-Jones, signed as a stop-gap player, was injured in training camp and eventually waived. Chris Myarick looked like he might serve as the tight end/fullback role, but he, too, ended up being replaced, though he did recently sign a reserve/futures deal.
And Andre Miller, an intriguing prospect from Maine who was trying to convert from receiver to tight end, ended up breaking his forearm in training camp. He received an injury settlement and was brought back to the practice squad. JHE'll try again this year to earn a roster spot in training camp.
No matter as rookie Daniel Bellinger, who impressed in the spring, stepped up, emerging as a Day 1 starter. Bellinger saw more and more responsibility each week, being asked to block and be a part of the passing game.
He was a reliable red-zone target, catching five of six passes inside the 20 for 47 yards and two touchdowns. He also added a red-zone rushing touchdown to go along with with a lot of decent blocking.
Bellinger missed five games mid-year after being poked in the eye in Week 7, and it's fair to say that the Giants running game took a bit of a dip without him in the lineup. Interestingly, though, when the Giants receivers started to pick up the pace, Belligner's role in the passing game began to shrink.
He saw 11 of his 33 pass targets in Weeks 13-18, as the Giants started targeting the receivers a bit more; still, Bellinger finished with a team-best 90.9 percent catch rate.
MORE 2022 GIANTS POSITION UNIT REVIEWS: Quarterback | Defensive Line | Receivers | Inside Linebackers | Edge Rushers
Midway through the year, the Giants acquired Nick Vannett off waivers from the Saints to take on some of the blocking duties, but he had ups and downs. Vannett offered good size at 6-foot-5, but he lacked the balance and athleticism to finish off blocks.
Lawrence Cager was another one of those players who came on, then was banished to the inactive list before returning down the stretch. The former wide receiver joined the Giants in Week 8 after Bellinger was sidelined with his eye injury. When Bellinger returned, Cager became an afterthought, landing on the inactive list or, when he was active, not getting many snaps, let alone pass targets.
He finished with 18 receptions, but his blocking, which is likely what led to his sparse playing time, left much to be desired. Cager has the size and strength to be a good blocker, but time and again, he failed to finish off his blocks once he made contact with his man.
In Week 18, the 25-year-old caught eight passes for 69 yards on ten targets, the best game of his career. He added two more receptions in the playoffs and showed an ability to get open and read defenses. Cager is an exclusive rights free agent who should be back, though don't expect the Giants to offer him the lowest tender, which would cost them $2.627 million for the year.
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