Giants' Darren Waller making it look easy in first camp with team
The Giants' Darren Waller participates in a drill at the team's training facility in East Rutherford, N.J., on Thursday. Credit: AP/Seth Wenig
It’s almost as if Darren Waller has been a Giant for longer than three-plus months.
We can hear Giants fans’ refrain: if only.
The early returns — in training camp against only friendly fire — seem to resemble that.
Waller has fit in with the team and the offense seamlessly. He talks about the route freedom in the Giants’ offense, and on the practice field, he’s been a difference-maker at every turn.
There seem to be times when quarterback Daniel Jones almost intentionally ignores Waller for a play — because he has to. But those respites don’t last long.
It is impossible to take one's eyes off Waller, who is an absolute nightmare for the vast majority of defensive backs -- and a quarterback’s dream.
On Friday, alluding to his two months of workouts with Jones, Waller used the words “ego removed” to describe their partnership.
Waller said he and coach Brian Daboll work together on improvisation on routes.
“There’s certain freedom on certain routes to where it doesn’t have to be super-rigid or how it’s drawn up in a playbook,” Waller said. “It’s put your personality and your feel [as] you sell certain routes.”
Through the first three days of camp, it’s working. Waller has been unstoppable.
“He’s a great pro,” Daboll said. “We have good conversations. I’d say he’s really fit in with the group. Guys have a lot of respect for him, not just for the player he’s been in this league but for the person he is. And some of the things he’s been through. He’s really mature. He’s been a really great teammate. I’m happy we have him.”
Notes & quotes: Rookie center John Michael Schmitz worked for a second consecutive day as a starter. Initially in camp, he and Ben Bredeson alternated . . . Daniel Jones went 6-for-6 at the beginning of 7-on-7 drills. Saquon Barkley ended the streak with a drop . . . Jones found rookie receiver Jalin Hyatt on the sideline as Hyatt smoothly kept his balance . . . Sterling Shepard appears to be making progress as he continues to work on the side . . . Jones took off running on a read option that went for 60 yards. . . WR Bryce Wheaton seems to make an impressive catch every practice. (Practice squad, perhaps?) . . . Parris Campbell is another player who seems to be fitting in with the Giants seamlessly. And looked oh-so-fast when he split two defenders for a long gain . . . The Giants are off Saturday and will be back on the practice field Sunday morning.
Kimberly Jones covers the Giants for Newsday, a beat she first worked in the early 2000s before joining the YES Network to cover the Yankees. She worked for the NFL Network for more than a decade and has been heard semi-regularly on WFAN.
