The Kenny Golladay watch continued Friday while the Giants’ fan base waited anxiously to hear if the big receiver would come to their team. And, more precisely, waiting to see if the Giants, after meeting Golladay, were ready to bring him on board.
Golladay arrived at the Giants plant on Thursday afternoon for a visit that includes dinner. The visit expanded Friday night, with Joe Judge, head coach of Golladay, members of the offensive staff and also general manager Dave Gettleman. The Giants wanted to get Golladay in their building, physically look at him and also determine if he is a culture suited to a franchise that is not blinded by talent alone.
The Giants had to medically examine Golladay, who played just five games in 2020, and missed two games with a hamstring and nine other games with a hip flexion injury. The Giants sent Golladay to the hospital for special surgery to be checked out on Friday.
The visit ended with Golladay leaving the facility early in the evening, but he stayed in the area overnight. The visit went well, according to a source, with the Giants apparently happy with what they heard from Golladay. Contract negotiations were underway and the Giants were confident that an agreement could be reached.
It’s not Golladay, the player, who’s stopping the Giants here. They know that he would immediately become the bodily presence that is lacking in their passing game. They understand Golladay running through the field and the passing of Daniel Jones will change the complexion of their attack. They also realize that he is not the second arrival of Randy Moss. Yet the Giants are also very aware of the psychic shock of energy that will inflict a Golladay signing in their fan base, and no doubt those who walk around the halls and work in the building where the Giants work and practice.
The Giants insisted on a personal visit with Golladay, 27, because they wanted answers to questions they had about him.
The Giants had to investigate what went down last season when Golladay injured his hip in a loss to the Colts on November 1st. He did not play again, but was not placed in an injured reserve because the Lions had hope for his return. It has been speculated that Golladay may not be looking for a new contract.
Darrell Bevell, the Lions’ interim head coach, said last season that the claim was unfounded. Asked if Golladay would make a business decision by not playing, Bevell told Detroit reporters, “I can be clear that he is not.”
A source told The Post that Golladay turned down an extension of the Lions for $ 18 million a year during the 2020 season. Other top receivers Amari Cooper, Keenan Allen and DeAndre Hopkins have all signed new deals that average at least $ 20 million a year. A source said Golladay tracked the annual compensation. He’s not going to get it in free agency and probably won’t get close.
Golladay last season offered a media boycott that lasted more than a month. In October, he posted a photo on Instagram with the caption “It did not cost you!” It is believed that the Lions have not entered into a new contract. Not long after, he fired an NFL Instagram message “liked” by Detroit head coach Matt Patricia.
The Giants needed to hear what went down. Remember, Judge told Golden Tate to stay home on a trip to Washington for what the judge considered selfish by the recipient. That Tate’s wife complained about his use of social media did not help. Tate has been released this season.
Late last season, Golladay broke his media silence, saying, ‘I mean, everyone knows what I can do. I was not worried about, ‘I have to play, man. I have to show the people. “People know who Kenny Golladay is and I really tried to make sure my body was right. I do not want to go there and put bad things on tape. ‘
Judge has had a relationship with Patricia since coaching for years with Bill Belichick’s Patriots staff. Judge can issue Patricia over Golladay (and no doubt did). Belichick also has Patricia as a resource. The fact that the Giants and Patriots, two teams that were looking for receivers in free agencies, did not jump at the chance to sign Golladay, it says. The fact that Golladay, considered by many to be the best receiver on the market, was not an early signing by anyone in the league, also says.
The Giants added Kyle O’Brien to their personnel department this offseason, and he’s another source of Golladay information. O’Brien has spent the past five seasons with the Lions and was there in 2017 when Golladay was selected from Northern Illinois in the third round of the NFL Series.