There is a certain feeling expressed by a fan base every time a visit like this is made. The player arrives, finds out who to meet, sees what to see, the team picks up the player’s vibes, and if all goes well, there’s this plea:
Do not let him leave the building without a contract.
Does this happen to the Giants and Kenny Golladay?
The talented wide receiver meets Thursday evening with the Giants at his team’s facilities, indicating there is a real interest in both parties. Golladay, however, would have been in Chicago meeting with the Bears on Wednesday, and there are rumors that the Bengals have already made him an offer for a one-year deal. It is premature to assume that Golladay is in high demand as he has been in the open market since Monday and, despite his talent and production, has yet to find a new football home.
The Giants will do their due diligence. There will be COVID-19 tests and then medical training will be done in Golladay. Last season he played in just five games, with a hip flexor injury, which needs to be thoroughly explored. Golladay will meet with Joe Judge and offensive coaches and will also speak with general manager Dave Gettleman.
It’s not like the Giants don’t have prior information about Golladay. They recently hired Kyle O’Brien as a senior executive. O’Brien spent the last five years with the Lions, and so he can give the Giants an inside observation of Golladay on and off the field.
If all goes well, the Giants, who have already participated in preliminary talks on the contract, are expected to make an offer. The belief that he was targeting free agency was that Golladay would cost up to $ 20 million a year. This will not happen. The $ 15 million a year figure is closer to the goal the giants must reach, unless both sides believe a one-year deal makes more sense. Will Fuller, one of the other top receivers available, agreed to a one-year deal with the Dolphins. Miami was believed to be a possible destination for Golladay.
Clearly this is not a glaring decision for the Giants, or they would have already engaged in serious contractual talks and tried to sign Golladay without a visit. Similarly, Golladay is not a league outcry, or someone out there, four days after the trial, would have handed in a deal for him to consider and sign.
Why the commotion in Golladay? The 27-year-old led the NFL with 11 touchdown passes in 2019, has two 1,000-yard receiving seasons and, at 6 feet-4, would give the Giants the length and wingspan they lack in its extensions. Golladay would be the perfect complement for Sterling Shepard in the slot and Darius Slayton out. This week, the Giants also grabbed a steering wheel from John Ross, signing the speed demon (and busting with the Bengals) in a one-year deal.
“This is a total compliment, it’s DeAndre Hopkins from a poor man,” an NFL source watching the Lions closely told The Post, referring to Golladay. “He doesn’t separate very well. Hopkins can’t separate, he just catches all the balls that come out of him.”
Golladay’s 39 contested catches in steps of 10 yards or more are the most in the NFL since 2018, according to Pro Football Focus.
This year’s NFL draft is full of receivers, but the Giants only have six picks and would rather not be left behind in a corner with the No. 11 general team. Their need for players is solved if they add Golladay and his visit. with them it could make a difference.