Report: New York Giants finalizing trade to add Las Vegas Raiders TE Darren Waller

According to a report from NFL insider Tom Pelissero, the New York Giants and Las Vegas Raiders are finalizing a trade that would send star tight end Darren Waller to New York.

Sources say the Giants will be trading their third-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft (pick No. 100) in exchange for Waller, a pick they acquired through their midseason trade that sent wide receiver Kadarius Toney to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Less than a year ago Waller signed an extension with Las Vegas that paid him $17 million per year, which will now be the responsibility of the Giants to pay. New York will be adding another weapon to their offense this offseason after signing quarterback Daniel Jones to a 4-year, $160 million deal and placing their franchise tag on running back Saquon Barkley.

Waller is 30 years old and will be entering his ninth season in the NFL. His last two seasons were riddled with injury, but the 2020 Pro Bowler is one of nine tight ends in league history to record back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons.

More on the 2023 NFL offseason, free agency

The NFL 2023 calendar year is set to begin at 4 p.m. ET on March 15 when contracts running through 2022 will officially run out, making those players free agents. Prior to the beginning of free agency, teams will have a chance to designate one franchise or transition tag player, starting on Feb. 21 at 4 p.m. ET and ending on March 7. Beginning March 13 through March 15 teams will be allowed a legal negotiation with players who are set to become unrestricted free agents.

In addition to NFL free agency, the new year also marks the beginning of all trades being made official by the league office. April 21 marks the deadline to sign restricted free agents to offer sheets while April 26 marks the deadline for teams to match restricted free agent offers sheets. 722 players are slated to become free agents in 2023.

More on restricted, exclusive rights free agents

Players with only three years of accredited NFL experience become restricted free agents. Their original team will have the option to apply first-round, second-round, original-round, and right-of-fight-of-first-refusal tenders on players at escalating price tags. The higher the round, the more expensive the tender amount; however, if a separate team does offer a contract and the original team does not match that round pick will be conveyed from the new team to the original team. Right of first refusal only gives a team the option to match or not. If they don’t match, they get nothing in return. An original-round tender would send a draft pick from whatever round the player was drafted back to the original team if they chose not to match. The original team will have five days to match once a player signs an offer sheet from a new team.