Now that Darren Waller has officially retired, Evan wanted to take the opportunity to defend Joe Schoen for making the trade for the oft-injured tight end in the first place, even if it proved to be a flop.
“What was the thinking at the time? Did it come from sound thinking?” Evan said. “When they traded for Darren Waller, it was ‘we need to put as many weapons around Daniel Jones as possible.’”
Schoen and the Giants brought in Waller after the team surprisingly won a playoff game behind Daniel Jones, but it was still clear that the team needed more weapons after Isaiah Hodgins emerged as one of his top targets that season. So, Schoen brought in a tight end with Pro Bowl potential, likely with no knowledge that he would even contemplate retiring after one season in New York.
For Evan, he can still appreciate the effort to upgrade the offense after a season that nobody saw coming.
“They had this surprisingly good season, and sometimes…you rest on your laurels,” Evan said. “It was a risk that we knew going in, but I thought it came from a sound place when they took that risk.”
Morash isn’t as understanding, not with the optics of Waller’s retirement while the masses are ripping him for his new music releases.
“It’s the music now that’s got me,” Morash said. “I think I would be fine if he just decided to retire. I think I feel embarrassed for him, and as a result, I feel embarrassed as a Giant fan that I thought it was gonna work out.”