Kenny Golladay remains the biggest name on the NFL free agency market but rumors suggest the Giants may be closing in and that the Ravens could make a push.
Once Chris Godwin and Allen Robinson were slapped with the franchise tag, Kenny Golladay became the top wide receiver on the NFL free agency market. But the market at the position has developed relatively slowly by comparison to the rest of the process. Now that Will Fuller, Curtis Samuel and JuJu Smith-Schuster, among others, have signed, though, Golladay is in the limelight.
As many expected coming into the 2021 offseason, it appears as if the New York Giants are in pole position to land the former Lions wideout. Despite having an offer on the table from the Cincinnati Bengals, Golladay reportedly wanted to meet with the Giants and did so on Friday. And ESPN’s Josina Anderson reported on Saturday that the receiver remains in New York to continue the meeting with the organization.
Given his reported desire to play in New York, that may seem cut and dry. Having said that, there may be a dark horse lurking and trying to make a final push: the Baltimore Ravens. On Friday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the Ravens front office reached out to Golladay’s agent to try and set up a meeting. There’s no word on if that meeting will transpire.
Will the Ravens be able to pique Golladay’s interest after his meeting with the Giants? Or is Golladay already looking for housing in the Big Apple? We don’t know with any certainty but we do know that both teams are right to be interested.
The Giants and Ravens both need a player of Kenny Golladay’s caliber.
In the case of the Giants, they spent a first-round pick on Daniel Jones just a few years ago but have seen mixed returns from the young quarterback. Whether you’re in or out on Jones, though, it’s undeniable that New York hasn’t been able to put their young signal-caller in a position where he’s best set up for success.
Darius Slayton has proved to be a tremendous diamond in the rough but Sterling Shepard and Golden Tate (and even Evan Engram) have all struggled with consistency and injuries. Not having a passing game rife with quality options doesn’t allow a quarterback to be in a great spot to develop. Golladay would solve that. His versatility as a big-bodied deep threat would open up the options for Jones and possibly allow him to realize his potential.
For the Ravens, we know the potential of Lamar Jackson and the offense. After all, the quarterback was the 2019 NFL MVP. At the same time, Baltimore has lacked a true No. 1 option at wide receiver and, frankly, it’s shown. Jackson’s development as a passer has been stymied by the fact that there isn’t a consistently reliable target that can carry the aerial attack.
Again, Golladay could be that player. His ability to take the top off a defense would fit right into the big-play mentality of the Ravens offense. But more importantly, his large frame and developed route-running would give Jackson a large, quality target to rely on at all levels of the field.
The Kenny Golladay free agency saga isn’t over yet. But it does appear that he has several quality options. We’ll see if the Giants are able to close the deal but the looming Ravens will try to have their say in the matter.