New Giants TE Darren Waller: 'They value our opinions here' - ESPN

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Newly acquired tight end Darren Waller is embracing the change of scenery and approach from the New York Giants after five seasons with the Raiders.

Most notably, Waller feels empowered in the culture that coach Brian Daboll has established compared to those of his previous stops.

«Yeah, they value our opinions here,» Waller said Thursday after standing out in the Giants' third OTA workout this spring. «As a player, I feel like a lot of places I've gone, you're told to do things a certain way and you do those things. But here it's like, they ask a lot of questions. They want to know what you're thinking, what you want to do more.

»So to offer input is a really cool thing because coaches and players have to be in partnership. We're all together and shouldn't be clashing with each other. We're all going in the same direction."

This is a staple of Daboll's approach. He famously was hired by the Giants and immediately asked quarterback Daniel Jones and many of the team's top playmakers to send him their favorite plays. Daboll took those plays into consideration when constructing the playbook for last season, when New York went 9-7-1 and won a playoff game.

Waller's year didn't go as seamlessly. He comes to the Giants after five seasons with the Raiders, where he played under Jon Gruden and most recently Josh McDaniels. Neither has the reputation of being the most player-friendly coach.

Las Vegas dealt Waller six months after signing him to a $51 million contract extension. He had an uneven campaign last season that was plagued by injuries. Waller had just 28 catches for 388 yards and three touchdowns in nine games, his least productive season since his first year with the Raiders.

It was challenging