When star receiver Kenny Golladay declined a contract worth $18 million per season from the Detroit Lions, he likely didn’t see the latest projections coming to reality. As of Friday morning, reports indicated that Golladay could earn just $13 million per season on a multi-year deal with the New York Giants, who are hosting him on a visit in East Rutherford.
The Giants and Golladay have been connected for a few days, as the organization desperately wants to find a top receiver to pair with quarterback Daniel Jones. Bringing in Golladay will not only help Jones in the passing game, but it would also benefit Saquon Barkley in the running game upon his return from a torn ACL. Barkley has been vocal via social media about the idea of signing Kenny since the last time Saquon had a WR1 alongside him, he posted over 2000 all-purpose yards.
.@DDuggan21 stated that Kenny Golladay could make just $13 million per season…
A WR1 for 13M AAV?!?
That would be a gift from the gods.
— Alex Wilson (@AlexWilsonESM) March 19, 2021
The New York Giants are doing their due diligence:
There have been red flags in the past regarding Kenny, as his tenure in Detroit ended poorly. His relationship with head coach Matt Patricia was not exactly positive, as he even liked a post bidding Patricia farewell upon his firing. Golladay has stated in the past that he wanted to stay in Detroit on a long-term contract, but they didn’t franchise tag him and allowed him to hit the free-agent market. It is very rare that a top receiver is available on the market, especially at such a juicy price.
I look to Allen Robinson as a benchmark for this contract, as he signed a three-year, $42 million deal with that Chicago Bears three years ago coming off his rookie deal. The 6-foot-4 receiver had better statistics after his rookie contract, and his injury isn’t as serious, so the upside is undeniable.
Adding in the signing of speedster John Ross and the Giants‘ offense should change entirely. They ran a more West Coast style in 2020, utilizing more dink and dunk passes to pick up short yardage. With more speed and man coverage beaters, the Giants will likely transition to a more downfield scheme, especially with Jones, who was one of the most accurate downfield throwers in 2020.