Like coach Tom Coughlin expressed earlier in the day, Giants general manager Jerry Reese said he was “disappointed” to lose tight end Jake Ballard to New England in what is becoming the most-discussed waiver-claim in years.
That does not mean, however, that Reese wants to discuss it.
“I could explain it but I don’t want to explain it,” Reese said on SiriusXM NFL Radio, via the New York Daily News. “Because it’s really irrelevant at this point. All I want to say about Jake is he did a tremendous job for us and we hope he gets well soon. It’s really pointless for me at this point to try explain it to people.
“It’s rare that somebody takes a guy under these conditions off the waiver wire but it happened and we wish Jake all the best.”
It’s clear the Giants were expecting to get Ballard back to stash him on IR, after he needed ACL and microfracture surgery.
“Yes we thought that he would clear,” Reese said. “It’s rare, but it’s not the first time something like that has happened. It’s disappointing for us that we didn’t get him back. He did a tremendous job for us and we hope he gets well soon and that he can finish his career, whether it’s with New England or whatever team he ends up with.
“It was disappointing, but that does happen, every blue moon.”
And while Reese said he harbors no ill will toward the Patriots for making the move, it doesn’t take much reading between the lines to see the Giants are chafed.