Can Lawrence Cager Emerge as Giants' Third Option at Tight End?

The Giants could use additional depth at tight end. Can Lawrence Cager provide it?

Author:
Gene Clemons
Publish date:
May 23, 2023 10:18 AM EDT

In this story:

Lawrence Cager, Tight End

Height: 6-foot-5 | Weight: 220 pounds
2022 Stats: GP 6 / GS: 3, 13 receptions 118 yards 1 touchdown

Lawrence Cager was a wide receiver convert coming out of the University of Georgia after spending his undergraduate years at the University of Miami. He had an injury-plagued few seasons in college but still had productive seasons in his final two years.

During his last season at Miami, he hauled in six touchdown passes. He grabbed four touchdowns in his only season at Georgia despite being in a talented ensemble cast.

Cager signed as an undrafted free agent with the Jets following the 2020 draft. After not making their 53-man roster, he signed to the Jets practice squad and received two standard elevations to the 53-man roster that year. After dealing with a hamstring injury that landed him on practice squad IR, he was eventually added to the Jets roster on December 12.

Cager failed to make the Jets roster the following year and went on to sign with the Cleveland Browns practice squad in October 2021. In January 2022, he returned to the Jets on a reserve/futures deal but was waived on October 15, 2022.

Three days later, he signed with the Giants practice squad, where he received three standard practice squad elevations before being signed to the 53-man roster on November 22, 2022, following Daniel Bellinger's eye injury.

In his second week on the active roster, he grabbed the first touchdown of his career (vs Houston). The next two weeks, he earned starts during Bellinger's absence, appearing in six games with three starters and finishing with 13 receptions (out of 18 pass targets) for 118 yards and one touchdown.

Cager's best single-game showing came in the regular-season finale against the Eagles, where he hauled eight passes on ten targets for 69 yards.

Best Case Scenario

Cager's fate is tied to the Giants' plan for the third tight end. Cager should be able to fill that role if they are looking for more of a receiving threat. He has a receiving skill set and uses his body well against defensive backs and his athleticism to separate from linebackers.

He could be used in three tight end sets where the Giants want the defense to put run-stopping personnel, giving the Giants a schematic advantage in their play-calling and ability to exploit matchups.

Worst Case Scenario

If the Giants decide that the third tight end needs to be more of a blocker, it could be an uphill battle for Cager to find relevance on this roster. Cager's blocking ability is not his strength.

Tommy Sweeney is more of a blocking end, and his signing appears to be a direct threat to Cager's chances of being part of the 53-man roster. If the Giants don't believe Cager can be a consistently decent blocker, he might be relegated to special teams duty if he's active.

What to Expect in 2023

Last year, the Giants were in two tight end sets more than people would expect, but that could have been a product of the injuries to the receiving corp. If the plan is to continue using these sets, the team needs three tight ends to facilitate this personnel grouping.

Cager could have a 15-20-catch season as a fill-in for Waller and Bellinger when they need breaks or are dealing with injuries. Still, his best ticket onto the roster is to become a legit factor on special teams, thus ensuring he was on the active roster and had access to the third tight end role.