NEW YORK — Kenny Golladay left the Giants’ facility without a deal on Friday evening, but the wide receiver’s meetings with team brass were constructive in East Rutherford, N.J., and there is still mutual interest heading into the weekend, sources told the New York Daily News.
Golladay, 27, planned to spend a second consecutive night in the area while the sides continued discussing a potential deal into Saturday, a source said.
The 6-4, 214-pound former Detroit Lion could be a match for New York, but he also is trying to leverage the best possible contract in a disappointing market. Many of the other top talents in a thin free-agent receiver class have signed already at $8 million to $12.5 million a year.
So Golladay, who already has offers from the Cincinnati Bengals and his hometown Chicago Bears, has incentive to drag this out if more suitors can show up to the party to drive the Giants’ price up.
The Bears seem to be the biggest threat so far. They are pitching Golladay on the attractive tandem of him and Allen Robinson at receiver in the Windy City and offering between $11-12 million a year, per the Chicago Tribune.
Golladay would stay in the NFC North. He also would get to play in the city where he was born and raised, and where he played at St. Rita High School and in college at Northern Illinois University, 90 minutes west of the city.
Golladay reportedly has been seeking $18.5 million per year, according to ProFootballTalk. But the Bears’ offer is more in line with what receivers are being paid in this free-agent cycle.
On one-year franchise tag salaries, the Bears’ Robinson is getting $17.98 million in 2021 and the Bucs’ Chris Godwin is getting $15.983 million. But removing those two salaries, the top five free-agent receiver contracts in this class average just $10.725 million per year.
The top 10 receivers in the league make between $16.25 million and $27.25 million per year, though. This year’s first-time franchise tag number was $15.9 million. And the top five free agent receivers this spring, including Robinson and Godwin, are averaging $20.2 million in total guarantees.
On top of that, Golladay turned down a contract extension worth $18-19 million per year last fall from the Detroit Lions, according to an ESPN report earlier this month. So once the Lions declined to tag him and let him walk into free agency last week, he has understandably had eyes on at least recouping what he passed up.
It’s possible the Giants and Golladay could find a middle ground combining a lower salary with incentives attached, but there is also the matter of the length of the contract.
If the Giants have to meet a certain number for Golladay, a two-year deal might help the club with its salary cap, whereas Golladay might prefer a one-year pact to reach the open market quicker when there is more money for teams to spend.
The combination of playing only five games last season due to a hip injury and going out in Detroit on a sour note created a less than optimal market for Golladay this spring. But one strong, full season could increase his price tag dramatically in 2022.
So Golladay’s free-agent tour has been highly publicized as his representation seeks the best deal.
There were leaks before Golladay even arrived in New York that he had a one-year offer on the table already from the Bengals (money unknown) and that he’d visited Bears GM Ryan Pace and coach Matt Nagy in Chicago on Wednesday night (also true).
Golladay’s planned flight to the New York area on Thursday night became highly anticipated public knowledge. And then, while Golladay was visiting with the Giants Friday morning, there was a report that the Baltimore Ravens were now interested, too.
That could have been an attempt by Golladay’s agents to create a bidding war and get the best deal from the Giants, but the Ravens never added up as a threat to push Golladay’s price sky high.
Baltimore is always mindful of future compensatory draft picks, so they wouldn’t overpay to complicate that formula of free agents lost and gained. They are the kind of team that would buy a depressed asset at value, especially with a strong receiver draft class and plenty of value in the middle class of these free agents.
Sure enough, when JuJu Smith-Schuster re-signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers on a one-year, $8 million deal, NFL Network reported that the Ravens had offered Smith-Schuster $9 million with $4 million in incentives.
The Giants need a No. 1 receiver. Golladay wants to be paid like one. Perhaps on Saturday, they’ll compromise and get what each wants.
