The New York Giants are set to embark on their most important offseason in recent memory. The decisions made by general manager Dave Gettleman this spring will be critical in determining whether Big Blue can continue confidently on their current path, or if they’ll have to press the reset button once again. With that in mind, let’s examine the potential free agents that could propel this team to playoff contention.
Last, but certainly not least, let’s look at Detroit Lions wide receiver Kenny Golladay.
The Resume
Golladay, selected in the third round of the 2017 Draft by Detroit, is a four-year NFL veteran with a Pro Bowl appearance (2019) under his belt. The Northern Illinois product has been a big-play machine, with a whopping 16.8 yards per catch over his career. Golladay had a modest rookie season, starting only five games and racking up 477 yards with three touchdowns. He established himself as a sophomore, totalling 1063 yards and five touchdowns.
It was his third year, however, when the Chicago native became a full-fledged star. That year, Golladay put up 1190 yards and led the league with 11 touchdown receptions. Last year, he played only five games due to a hip injury, but still had 338 yards and two touchdowns. Golladay’s missed time last season could cause durability concerns, but he played all but one game the previous two seasons. His injury history shouldn’t be too much of a red flag.
The Fit
At 6’4 and 214 pounds, Golladay has the physical profile of a receiver the Giants are sorely lacking. Right now, Big Blue doesn’t have any widouts taller than 6’1. Golladay would provide quarterback Daniel Jones the type of big-bodied target he’d surely love. Plus, Golladay’s play-style lives up to his stature. He’s a contested catch master, often soaring above smaller defenders to make grabs few other receivers could. It’s that large catch-radius that makes Golladay such a good redzone threat, and an attractive fit for a Giants team that only had 12 touchdown passes last year.
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As much as Golladay would help New York’s offense, he’s not everything they could ask for in a number-one wideout. With Sterling Shepard as their slot guy and Darius Slayton as their deep threat, Big Blue is missing that reliable outside receiver that wins at all levels of the field and gets a high volume of catches. Golladay doesn’t quite fit that description. He’s never had more than 70 receptions in a season, and is more of a boom-or-bust target than an every-down security blanket. Still, Golladay provides enough of what the Giants’ offense is lacking that he’s be a welcome addition.
The Cost
Spotrac estimates Golladay’s market value at $17 million annually. Given he’ll be the only true number-one receiver available, it’s reasonable to expect him to command something closer to $20 million. The Giants could fit him in under the salary cap if they really wanted, but they’d have to make a few more cuts, and probably sacrifice resigning defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson, to make the space.
Should the Giants be Interested?
Uhhh…yeah. Signing Golladay would mean filling the Giants biggest need with the best available free agent, which is a win no matter which way you slice it. It’ll be hard for New York to outbid other receiver-needy teams with more cap space, but Big Blue needs to be in on the Golladay sweepstakes. The opportunity to add an elite, big-play wideout to help your young, still developing quarterback is to good not to pursue.
– Ryan Cuneo is the Managing Editor of Full Press Giants. He covers the New York Giants. Like and follow on Follow @ryan_cuneo Follow @FullPressGiants and Facebook.
