The New York Giants are looking for offensive weapons for quarterback Daniel Jones.
It will be Coach Joe Judge’s second season with the team.
The expectations for the offense are high given that Saquon Barkley is expected to be back and the Giants front office will either draft or sign more playmakers to surround Jones and Barkley.
One of the players that frequently comes up in conversations is wide receiver Kenny Golladay.
Kenny Golladay is expected to be a #Giants target. Doesn’t mean they will land him at all costs. https://t.co/pmuqSfJ3zT
— Jordan Raanan (@JordanRaanan) March 11, 2021
Who Is Kenny Golladay?
🚨DOUBLE PASS TD🚨
Kenny Golladay gets his 2nd of the day!
(via @thecheckdown) pic.twitter.com/EA06SaH3jp
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) October 27, 2019
Golladay, 27, was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the 3rd round of the 2017 NFL Draft (90th overall).
His rookie contract was a 4 year $3.1 million deal that expired after the 2020 season.
With the Lions making major changes in the offseason including the coaching staff and a new quarterback in Jared Goff, there were rumblings that Kenny Golladay could be franchise tagged.
The franchise tag deadline came and went on March 9, and the Lions did not tag Golladay.
Lions have informed WR Kenny Golladay that they will not use their franchise tag on him, as @TomPelissero reported. Golladay is headed to free agency.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 9, 2021
Here are ESPN’s New York Giants reporter Jordan Ranaan’s thoughts on Golladay.
“There’s some concerns about Kenny Golladay, but this is a player the Giants are interested in. This isn’t just me making a grand assumption; this isn’t just me connecting the dots. I am telling you, the Giants are interested in Kenny Golladay. There’s a reason they called the Lions last year around the trade deadline. A deal wasn’t going to happen, but it’s a player that’s interesting to them — that they like…Now, there are some concerns. He’s been injured, he’s played one 16-game season in his four years and there’s a reason the Lions didn’t really want to sign him long-term. They obviously did not feel totally comfortable giving him that money.”
The Giants Previously Were Interested In Golladay
As Ranaan mentioned, the Giants called the Lions in October 2020 to inquire about a trade for Golladay.
Obviously, Golladay has been on their radar for a while.
Ranaan himself could not find out how serious those discussions were back in October.
At the time, he said:
“I had heard something about this last week. There was at least some conversation about the Giants talking to the Lions about wide receiver Kenny Golladay. My understanding is that it did happen in some shape or form.”
Kenny Golladay Market Value
Recently, Spotrac estimated that Kenny Golladay’s contract would be valued at $85 million.
An annual salary of $17 million over the course of a five-year period is what was projected.
Interested Teams
Besides the Giants, the Miami Dolphins are reportedly interested in Golladay.
It is still unclear if Miami will go with Tua Tagovailoa at quarterback or make a run at Deshaun Watson.
Either way, the team needs a star wide receiver.
Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald wrote this about Golladay.
“Word around the league is the Dolphins are determined to add a No. 1 receiver in free agency, and they are expected to show considerable interest in Golladay once the legal tampering period begins next week. At 6’4″, he certainly fits the big-bodied mold of receivers favored by new co-offensive coordinator George Godsey.”
A flurry of free agent signings is expected at the official start of the league year on March 17 at 4 pm EDT.
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