Giants ‘optimistic’ they’ll land top wideout target Kenny Golladay

The New York Giants are reportedly ‘optimistic’ that they can get a deal done with free agent wide receiver Kenny Golladay.

The New York Giants entered this offseason with a pressing need at wide receiver, which played a role in them having one of the least productive offenses in the NFL last year. Luckily for them, the Detroit Lions opted against placing the franchise tag on one Kenny Golladay. After bringing the free agent wide receiver in for a visit on Thursday, there is some positive talk coming out of East Rutherford, N.J.

After ESPN’s Josina Anderson reported that talks between the Giants and Golladay are “heating up” on Friday, FanSided’s National NFL Insider Matt Lombardo says that the vibe inside the Giants facility is “optimistic.”

Giants: Talks between New York and Kenny Golladay ‘heating up’

Entering this offseason, the early expectation was that the Lions would place the franchise tag on Golladay for the 2021 season to keep him away from free agency. But once the deadline to place the tag on players arrived earlier this month, the Lions opted against it.

Unlike the market for offensive lineman and pass rushers, wide receiver signings have arrived at a snails pace. No lucrative deals were handed out to pass-catchers this offseason, and that worked in the favor of the Giants, as the top option on the market in Golladay was there for the taking.

Golladay is coming off 2020 season where he played in just five games due to a hip flexor strain and to a lesser extent a hamstring injury at the start of the campaign. But, he is the big body presence that the Giants have missed lined up on the outside since Plaxico Burress. With quarterback Daniel Jones entering a pivotal third year of his career, the team needed to supply him with better talent in the receiving corps to see if he truly is the answer at the quarterback position. Golladay is the best available receiver the Giants can get on the open market.

Through his first four seasons at Detroit, Golladay caught 183 passes for 3,068 yards and 21 touchdowns in 47 career games. In fact, Golladay put up similar numbers as Lions legend Calvin Johnson did through his first 47 games (3,166 yards, 22 touchdowns).

Giants fans have been refreshing their social media feeds ad nauseam, waiting for some positive news on the Golladay front. While a deal has not been finalized as of yet, the Giants are confident they can get it done in the very near future.