The Giants have their top three receivers from the past two seasons — Sterling Shepard, Golden Tate and Darius Slayton — under contract for 2021, but they are expected to show interest in a higher-profile pass catcher.
Should the Lions let Kenny Golladay hit the market, many around the league expect the Giants to pursue the Pro Bowl target, Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.tv notes. The Giants discussed Golladay with the Lions before last year’s trade deadline, despite having just one win at the time, but the Lions held onto their No. 1 receiver. Golladay, however, missed most of the season due to injury.
Golladay’s availability will obviously factor into any team’s pursuit. A franchise tag for the four-year veteran is firmly on the table, despite the Lions having traded Matthew Stafford and overhauled their front office and coaching staff this offseason. The former third-round pick missed 11 games last season because of hamstring and hip injuries but averaged an NFL-high 18.3 yards per catch in 2019, doing so with Stafford missing half that season.
The Giants are expected to part ways with Tate at some point soon. No guaranteed money remains on the veteran’s deal, which calls for a $10.9MM cap number. Tate’s former Lions teammate would be a target to monitor, though the two-time 1,000-yard receiver may only be available through a tag-and-trade scenario. A receiver tag is expected to cost north of $16MM.
As of mid-February, the Giants are less than $1MM under the projected $180MM cap. They have Leonard Williams and Dalvin Tomlinson on track for free agency, with the former set to command big money after a breakthrough season in his first full year with the Giants. The team also has an edge rusher need yet again. But the Giants’ offense regressed to 31st in points scored last season, and its Daniel Jones plan may require more help for the young quarterback.
Should Golladay not hit the market, several other big-name receivers will. Former Dave Gettleman Panthers draftee Curtis Samuel is a free agent-to-be. Even if Chris Godwin and Allen Robinson are tagged, the likes of Will Fuller, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Corey Davis, T.Y. Hilton, Marvin Jones and A.J. Green are some of the names set to be free agents. The 2021 draft is also expected to be heavy on wideout talent, continuing a recent trend.
Heard that OBJ character is available
Yeah, he’d be a great playmaker for the Giants. They’ve really been lacking that since they traded that Beckham guy….
#FireGettleman
Ah, how many games did that “great playmaker” play this year? $Million Dollar skills, and a $.10 cent head……best trade they’ve made in a long time getting rid of that tremendous headache….a legend in his own mind….doesn’t know the meaning of the word team!
OBJ is the most overrated player in NFL. Injury prone and somewhat drama prone … not on ABs level but he doesn’t make my top 30 …
IDK… That trade netted the Giants Lawrence(1st rounder), zeitler(technically he was a separate deal), a third rounder and Peppers…OBJ has missed quite a bit of time with the Browns and now they may be looking to trade him. I think Gettleman did pretty good on this transaction.
How do you spell cancer…OBJ. Loves himself more than football.
Cancer is spelled TRUMP and it was eradicated. OBJ was a great trade for the Giants and its obvious! Browns wasted their picks. OBJ needs to be a Raider!
No thanks…..he’s old news and glad he is!
Yeah all I can think of when I hear OBJ is that Reese drafted him 1 pick before AARON DONALD
From what I can tell (and I could be wrong), if the Giants release Tate after June 1st, their dead cap hit is only $2.35 million for both 2021 and 2022 and they can save $8.5 million on their cap in 2021. Prior to June 1st, they save only $6.1 million on their 2021 cap.
If I’m right, this seems like a no-brainer. Tate was awful last year and was invisible at times. Further, he was benched a game for his attitude (which he apologized for). Giants desperately need WR help, but Tate isn’t the answer.
The issue with that is if they wait to cut him they will miss out on a lot of free agents since most sign within the first few days of free agency.
Yeah, good point. I suppose if they needed the extra $2.4 million, they can restructure a few deals and achieve it.
Why would the Lions let him hit the market? Golladay, Jones and Amendola are all free agents. They would be wise to lock up Golladay. I think the only other WR they have under contract next year is Cephus, and maybe Agnew although he isn’t really a receiver.
The Lions should have locked up Darius Slay too but they always balk at paying big bucks even though these players have Pro Bowl credentials. Hard to be a contender when you keep letting your best talent go to teams that are willing to pay a premium for game changers.
Slay is the 4th highest paid CB in the league and PFF graded him out at the 56th best CB last year. Compare that to Flowers who PFF ranked as 9th best edge par year. Slay is a great guy, glad he got his big day. Equally glad it wasn’t with the Lions.
While I liked Slay, he became too expensive for what the Lions were getting in return. Plus, he essentially checked out when the Lions inexplicably traded Quandre Diggs to the Seahawks. A move then and now that makes absolutely no sense. Still, Slay basically pouted his way out of town.
The Lions won’t let him hit the market. The WR tag is $16 million and projections have him earning $19 million/yr so tagging him is a no brainer. Only question is if they will tag him for a year to see if he stays healthy or give him a new contract.
a new multi-year deal for Golladay makes no sense for the Lions timeline. They’re set to enter a full rebuild with a new QB that doesn’t fit Golladay’s playstyle. Kenny’s always been known for making contested catches and being a deep threat. Goff has never been known as a gunslinger nor an accurate one at that. Daniel Jones on the other hand was ranked 12th in deep ball accuracy and would potentially thrive with a receiver like Golladay. Best thing for the Lions would be to tag Golladay and then trade him to the Giants for a 2nd rounder or a 3rd and a 4th. A Marvin Jones extension makes a lot more sense for the Lions.
Also forgot to mention Golladay recently turned down 16M per year from the Lions. He’s clearly ready to part ways.
Yeah, that’s what the Lions should do, tag him and then trade him to your team for nothing. Then re-sign a 30-something receiver who has publicly stated he wants out of Detroit to test free agency. Makes perfect sense… for no one but Giants fans.
A 2nd rounder is nothing? Lol, general consensus from Detroit beat writers says that’s the return he would net. Pretending a 2nd is nothing to cover up the emotional distress of letting him go is quite sad. Not to mention the Lions just had the worst defense in the NFL by a lot of metrics, but apparently the solution is tying up 20M annually to a WR? Doesn’t make sense, not for the timeline at least. Plenty of good WR talent in this upcoming draft. Hell, who knows, maybe he returns a late first from Baltimore or Indy.
If Golladay walks the Lions will receive a 3rd round compensation pick anyway. At least a tag and trade nets you a better haul.
Yes, for Golladay, a #1 receiver, something the Giants are in desperate need of, that’s nothing. He’s more valuable than a second to the Lions. Simply put, your team needs a receiver and you want a good one on the cheap. So you come up with ridiculous trade scenarios and embellish the numbers all in an effort to have it kind of make sense. Sound about right? “Quite sad”, indeed. By your own logic, the Giants trading Barkley to the Lions for a second-round pick is a good deal because he’s owed too much money. See how stupid that sounds? Plus, if there are plenty of good WR’s in the draft, as you say, why would the Giants spend so much for Golladay? Why not draft a younger, cheaper receiver? Why don’t you ask your team do the very thing you’re asking the Lions to do? Exactly. GTFOH with that nonsense. We’re done here.
So you’re completely disregarding what I said in an effort to make yourself feel better. Lions beat reporters with INSIDE INFORTMATION(!) are reporting Golladay’s market with a tag and trade would be a second rounder or potentially, a late first. Forgot “thebluemeanie” in the profootballrumors comments has the inside info, my bad guys, my bad. Golladay is owed big money that the Lions don’t wanna pay, nor does he wanna stick around for. Plain and simple. You can continue to deny it if you wish. Golladay turned down 16M annually because he feels he’s worth more. Now, where’s he going to get that? Certainly not the Lions. Let him walk and get a compensation pick or tag and trade him for more assets. Also, who said Saquon is owed big money? Lol, that was a reach and a half.
To address the second half of your statement, the Giants need a #1 wideout. They can’t afford to gamble on a prospect at #11 despite what scouting reports say. They’ll have roughly 35-40M after cuts (Post June 1st or not). Golladay can get paid and he plays to Daniel Jones strengths.
Now we’re done here.
What makes more sense for the Lions timeline, especially while they’re hogtied salary wise, is drafting a guy like Waddle or Smith @ #7. After expected cuts the Lions will save what? 10 Million maybe? They’re already projected to have around -$8.5M so that puts them just over. Okwara needs a new contract as well.
Another receiver that Daniel Jones could throw incompletions to!