Darren Waller trade grades: Giants get desperate for Daniel Jones; Raiders make smart money move

The Raiders’ offense will look very different already in 2023, as Jimmy Garoppolo will be the starting quarterback and Jakobi Meyers will join Davante Adams and Hunter Renfrow as wide receivers.

Following their decision to reunite Garoppolo and Meyers in free agency with offensive-minded coach Josh McDaniels, they opted to step away from tight end Darren Waller — the former point of contact for their former top QB Derek Carr. While Carr ended up with New Orleans and the Saints, Waller is on his way to New York and the Giants after the Raiders traded him.

It might seem odd that Las Vegas would move Waller after just beefing up his offense, but smart spending on Garoppolo and Meyers are helping them quickly focus on much-needed defensive improvements around stud-edge rusher Maxx Crosby. So the deal with Waller fits into that plan.

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Commercial grades by Darren Waller

Raiders get:

• 2023 Third Round Draft Pick (No. 100 overall)

get giants:

Robber grade: A

The Raiders made a poor financial decision to make Waller the highest-paid tight end in the game just before his durability began to wane past age 30.

The late-blooming former Ravens project has a great personal history of overcoming trouble off the field to become a star receiver, but after two spectacular seasons in 2019 and 2020, Waller has only played 20 of the last 34 games. He was paralyzed for much of last year when he returned to the off-season in July last year, ending up at IR where he only played 9 games.

Waller will turn 31 in September, right at the start of the 2023 NFL season. The Raiders will save $11.38 million in salary cap funds with little dead money, $660,000, by trading with him. After getting bargains on Garoppolo (3-year, $67.5M) and Meyers (3-year, $33M), it made sense to move on.

McDaniels can just switch to a more dynamic 11-person (three wide receivers) with Meyers in the mix, or GM Dave Ziegler and Raiders could also go for a tight end in a deep draft for the position once they take Notre Dame’s Michael Mayer at No. 1. 7 total. Luckily, they found a willing and desperate trading partner for the Cap Relief.

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Giants Grade: C

Waller is a well-versed talent for a team short of options and has paid quarterback Daniel Jones $160 million over four years. But the Giants have a promising youngster receiving a tight end in Daniel Bellinger and Brian Daboll and Mike Kafka. They can’t count on a fading, aging Waller to suddenly regain Pro Bowl form and be effective in the range from Dawson Knox to Travis Kelce, tight ends on their previous teams.

Waller is more of a name. He peaked with his athletic game and 6-6, 238-pound frame. Staying healthy and available in the future is not a sure thing. The Giants also have a lot of work to do upgrading the wide receiver, and they ended up essentially trading 2021 first-rounder Kadarius Toney for Waller — they got the 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 flier that might end up having a low to average impact.