There is a certain feeling expressed by a fan base whenever such a visit takes place. The player arrives, meets who he has to meet, sees what he has to see, the team takes over the vibrations from the player and, if all goes well, there is this plea:
Don’t let him out of the building without a contract.
Is this happening to the Giants and Kenny Golladay?
The wide and talented receiver meets on Thursday night with the Giants on their team, which indicates that there is a real interest on both sides. However, Golladay was reportedly in Chicago on Wednesday to meet with the bears 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 because he has been in the open market since Monday and, despite his talent and production, has not yet found a new football home.
The giants will do their due diligence. There will be COVID-19 tests and then Golladay will receive medical training. He played in just five games last season, dealing with a hip flexor injury that needs to be explored in detail. Golladay will meet with Joe Judge and offensive coaches and will also speak with general manager Dave Gettleman.
It’s not like the Giants didn’t have any previous information on Golladay. Recently, Kyle O’Brien was hired as executive director. O’Brien has spent the last five years with the Lions, so he can give the Giants an inside look at Golladay on and off the field.
If all goes well, the giants – who have already engaged in preliminary discussions on the contract – are expected to make an offer. The belief in the free agency was that Golladay would cost up to $ 20 million a year. This will not happen. The figure of $ 15 million a year is closer to the target that the Giants must reach, unless both sides consider that a one-year agreement makes more sense. Will Fuller, one of the other top receivers available, ended a one-year contract with the Dolphins. Miami was thought to be a possible destination for Golladay.
Clearly, this is not a bad decision for the Giants, otherwise they would have already engaged in serious contract discussions and tried to sign Golladay without a visit. Equally clear, Golladay is not a slam-dunk around the league or someone there, four days after the trial, would have offered him an agreement to consider and sign.
Why the fuss over Golladay? The 27-year-old target 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 breadth of wings they lack in widths. Golladay would be the perfect complement for Sterling Shepard in the slot and Darius Slayton offshore. This week, the Giants took a flyer from John Ross, signing the speed demon (and bust with the Bengals) in a one-year deal.
“This is a total compliment, it’s DeAndre Hopkins of a poor man,” said an NFL source who watches the Lions closely for The Post, referring to Golladay. “They don’t separate great, Hopkins can’t separate, he just catches every ball that comes his way.”
Golladay’s 39 contested catches at passes of 10 meters or more are the most in the NFL in 2018, according to Pro Football Focus.
This year’s NFL draft is full of receivers, but the Giants have only six picks and would prefer not to retire to a corner with general selection no. 11. Their need for players is solved if Golladay adds and his visit with them could make a difference.