Converted wide receiver finished last season strong

Last year, many of Big Blue View’s roster profiles lamented the lack of options the New York Giants had at the tight end position. That’s no longer the case after a trade for Darren Waller and a promising rookie season from Daniel Bellinger.

That means there’s slightly less urgency for the Giants to find standouts at the position as the team heads into training camp, and it could be more difficult for the depth options to stand out. But Lawrence Cager, who finished last season as a member of New York’s playoff roster, already has a leg up on the competition.

Cager has bounced around between active rosters and practice squads around the league. Has he finally found a home with the Giants?

By the numbers

Height: 6-foot-5
Weight: 220
Age: 25
Position: Tight end
Experience: 3
Contract: One-year, $940,000 | 2023 cap hit: $940,000

Career to date

Cager, a wide receiver in college, scored 14 touchdowns over three years in Miami and one with Georgia. He signed with the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent wideout in 2020 and spent most of the year on their practice squad, appearing in just two games.

Cager spent 2021 on the Cleveland Browns’ practice squad. After another brief stint with the Jets — where he converted to tight end — he was waived and ended up with the Giants, who promoted him to their 53-man roster in November 2022.

The Giants played Cager in six regular season games last year, even though he had appeared in just four total games prior. He ended the season strong with eight catches for 69 yards at the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 18 and scored his only career touchdown in Week 9 against the Houston Texans.

That was enough for Cager to earn a spot on the Giants’ playoff roster, and he caught two passes for 20 yards in the postseason.

The Giants resigned Cager in February, a month before they traded for tight end Darren Waller.

2023 outlook

The Giants resigned Cager and did not extend an offer to fellow tight end Nick Vannett. Cager also finished the year on the active roster, with Chris Myarick sitting on the practice squad. He brings some explosive upside as a former wide receiver, something Bellinger hasn’t shown yet.

That all means it’s possible the Giants’ brass favors Cager among their tight end depth options — but that was also before the team traded for Waller.

With Waller and Bellinger taking up two tight end spots, Cager’s fate could depend on if the Giants decide to carry three or four tight ends on their 53-man roster. Cager will open training camp as a favorite to earn one of those spots, and should be able to make it onto the practice squad with little trouble if he loses out on a roster spot.