New York Giants Training Camp Preview - WR Kenny Golladay

The New York Giants are hoping that receiver Kenny Golladay can do for Daniel Jones what Plaxico Burress did for Eli Manning.

Author:
Patricia Traina
Publish date:
Jun 8, 2021 8:00 AM EDT

For as near and dear as retired New York Giants quarterback is to the franchise's heart, they would probably love for nothing more than to see Daniel Jones, Manning's successor, enjoy a successful career run similar to what Manning had during his prime.

To make sure that happens, the Giants went on a massive off-season spending spree, the highlight of which is wide receiver Kenny Golladay, whom the Giants are hoping can do for Jones what Plaxico Burress did for Manning in Year 3 of his career.

There's plenty to be excited about when it comes to Golladay--and plenty to be concerned with. Let's get into it all.

What He Brings

Golladay has only finished in the top-five league-wide in receiving yardage once in his four-year career that coming in 2019, but his skill set and height were certainly enough to convince the Giants to pay him like a top-five receiver.

But stats aside, Golladay gives the Giants something they haven't had since Plaxico Burress: a tall, skyscraping X-receiver who can line up and play the role on an every-down basis and open things up for the offense.

Interestingly, Golladay isn't a route running technician who creates separation at will out of his breaks. But there's no denying his expansive catch radius or his play strength, both of which have led to a career-contested catch rate of 60.2% and the ability to win at every level of the field, from quick slants to deep fades.

That ability is going to be so important for a Giants red-zone offense that last year finished with a 46.34 conversion percentage, 31st in the NFL.

But let's get back to Jones for a moment. The Giants feel pretty good about the third-year quarterback as their future franchise starter.

Head coach Joe Judge has bent over backward to throw bouquets of praise in Jones's direction in what's been a complete 180-degree turn from when he first arrived in East Rutherford and wouldn't even mention the quarterback by name.

Next year, the Giants will have to decide on Jones's option year, but to come to the right decision, they have to remove all and any excuses for Jones's play or lack thereof.

Adding a receiver like Golladay accomplishes that n that t gives Jones a legitimate No. 1 receiver and a playmaker who is at his best on the outside and can consistently win when facing double teams and finding ways to get open.

Golladay's presence should also help the rest of the offense in that if he's doubled, that should create one-on-one matchups for the rest of the receivers, who must do their parts to win those matchups. If everything clicks according to plan, the Giants offense, and in particular the passing game, will be a work of beauty that conjures up memories of the Manning-Burress years.

His Contract

Golladay signed a four-year, $72 million contract with a voidable year in 2025. Hsi's 2021 cap hit is an easily digestible $4,473,529, but in 2022, that number will swell to $21.15 million. Golladay's deal includes a $17 million signing bonus and a $250,000 roster bonus in Year 1 of the deal, an exciting addition considering he's coming off the season-ending hip injury.

Roster Projection/Expectations

The coaches always like to say that every player needs to compete for his snaps, but after making such a significant financial commitment to Golladay, there is no way he's going to be riding the pine anytime soon. Golladay should especially be helpful inside the red zone, where having taller receivers gives a team an advantage.

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