Darren Waller

Roster-building never really ends for NFL teams, even in the heat of summer when players are away and practice fields are ghost towns. The New York Giants have done a lot this offseason, remaking their defense and special teams, adding several wide receivers who will compete for jobs, and remaking their defensive and offensive lines. Still, there is always more that could be done. Is there ONE move the Giants could, or should, make to upgrade their roster before training camp begins in late July? NFL.com recently revisited its list of the top 101 free agents who entered the offseason. Eleven of those players remain unsigned. They are: DE Joey Bosa WR Stefon Diggs WR Deebo Samuel G Kevin Zeitler Edge Haasan Reddick TE Darren Waller CB Trevon Diggs Edge Kyle Van Noy QB Jimmy Garoppolo OT Taylor Decker Edge Jadeveon Clowney From that list, is there a player you would like to see in a Giants’ jersey when training camp opens in West Virginia? For me, there are four possibilities. Let’s go through them. NFL Media’s Gregg Rosenthal writes: Still an excellent route runner and third-down option, Diggs would have been initially ranked higher as a short-term play if not for his then-pending legal matter . Recently, he’s been found not guilty and won’t be disciplined by the NFL , opening the door for a potential signing. The Giants added two wide receivers — Darnell Mooney and Calvin Austin III — early in free agency. They added three more — Odell Beckham Jr. , JuJu Smith-Schuster , Braxton Berrios — at the beginning of June. Diggs, who turns 33 in November, is clearly better than any of them. Whatever you think of Diggs’ legal issues, he has been cleared and is eligible to sign. The rash of signings a few weeks ago suggests the Giants are concerned they might not have enough at wide receiver. Diggs caught 85 passes for 1,013 yards for the New England Patriots a year ago. The only time Diggs has not surpassed 1,000 receiving yards was 2024, when he played in just eight games. He would be WR2 for the Giants behind Nabers no matter who else is on the roster. No player on this list would help Jaxson Dart more than Diggs. How likely is it that the Giants would sign Diggs? Not very, to be honest. The Giants are likely on the upswing, but at this point in his career Diggs is a mercenary looking for the team that gives him the best shot at a Super Bowl ring. In 2026, that is probably not the Giants. Rosenthal writes: Deebo looked like his old self in Washington for stretches. His burst seems to come and go these days, so a role with reduced snaps could maximize his impact. Again, we return to the argument I just made with Diggs. Samuel is not as good as Diggs. He isn’t as dynamic or multi-talented as he was during his prime with the San Francisco 49ers . Still, he caught 72 passes last season, the second-most in his career, for more than 700 yards. He, like Diggs, would be WR2 for the Giants behind Nabers. Also like Diggs, this is a move I don’t see as likely. The Giants drafted Colton Hood in Round 2, and I wouldn’t look at Diggs, younger brother of Stefon, as a player I would sign expecting him to stand in the way of Hood’s development. If Hood earns the reps opposite Paulson Adebo , he should get them. And I believe he will. Thing is, the Giants have two reclamation projects — Greg Newsome and Deonte Banks — competing with Hood for the starting job opposite Adebo. The upside with Diggs, who turns 28 in September, is higher than with either Newsome or Banks. Diggs’ 11-interception All-Pro season with the Dallas Cowboys came way back in 2021, but it happened. Diggs has played in just 22 games over the past three seasons due to injuries, the most severe of which was a left ACL tear in 2023. Most likely, Diggs is not ever going to approach that 2021 season again. The real question is whether Diggs would be an upgrade over Newsome or Banks. Diggs would likely be available for a veteran minimum deal. The Giants don’ [... truncated ...]

Darren Waller

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A Raider made world history 5 years ago

Yahoo Sports NFLJun 22, 2026, 7:05 PM+2 stories · 30dSource ↗

Darren Waller

Sunday marked a five-year anniversary of a landmark day in sports history. On June 21, 2021, on a quiet Monday afternoon in the NFL, Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Carl Nassib announced he was gay in a short, simple Instagram post. He become the first (and still only) active player in NFL history to be publicly out. It instantly became world-wide news as Nassib’s story transcended sports. His jersey quickly became a leading seller in the league. The long-lasting impact Nassib’s announcement had is that the league and its players have proven that can and hasveaccepted a publicly out player. After his announcement, Nassib was just another player. His story quickly slid to the background. He fit in like he did in his first five NFL seasons when he was known only as a hard-working rotational pass rusher from Penn State. He was just one of the guys in the Raiders’ locker room. He received public support from several teammates and there were never any stories or reports of negative treatment or remarks by fans or by opponents. Even during broadcasts of Raiders’ game, for the most part, Nassib was talked about for his play on the field. Nassib also proved an out player could get a job as a free agent. He was cut for financial reasons in 2022 and he was later signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and played there for the 2022 season before retiring on his own terms at the age of 30. While appearing on Raiders’ teammate Darren Waller ’s podcast in September, 2021, Nassib said he long wanted to come out, but wanted to do it after he become financially secure. In 2020, Nassib signed a three-year, $25.25 million deal with the Raiders with $13.25 million in guaranteed money. So, in the end, Nassib not only was true to himself with that announcement five years ago, but he showed other players in the NFL, and in sports in general, that things will pretty much remain the same for them if they chose to come out. At this five-year mark, no active NFL player has come out as gay. Perhaps it will happen soon or it may take time. Regardless, Nassib was a pioneer and it’s so cool he did as a Raider, further adding to the franchise’s storied history of being cultural pioneers. So, June 21 is a seminal date for many reasons

Darren Waller

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