R.C. Fischer discusses deep sleeper candidate Darren Waller of the Ravens.
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Original report (5/13/16): Original VDS Report on Darren Waller
September 2 update…
Darren Waller was the first ‘Very Deep Sleeper’ report in our 2016 series, and it wound up not being a great start to the project. A few weeks after this report was published in mid-May, it was announced that Waller would be suspended for the first four games of the 2016 season for a banned substance. He had enough hurdles to jump through before the suspension, but the four-game ban could have put a nail in his coffin in terms of sticking with the Ravens’ roster…it still might.
Things were looking a little murky, and then Ben Watson got hurt in Week 3 of the preseason…lost for the 2016 season. The door, suddenly, got kicked open again for Waller in Baltimore. The good news for him didn’t stop there. In that same preseason game, Waller took a step forward – displaying more of the speed and athleticism that made him a coveted wide receiver in the 2015 NFL Draft, and an intriguing tight end conversion. Just when I thought this story might be moving to ‘very very’ deep sleeper land…Waller is starting to ascend.
It’s been a bumpy ride this preseason, but things are starting to look up again. The Ravens have several other tight end options to consider, so it won’t be easy, but the one who is the best physical/athletic package among them is not Maxx Williams, not even close – it’s Darren Waller. Keep hope alive!