Kenny Golladay

Kenny Golladay Met With Bears

March 18th, 2021 at 2:32pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

He didn’t sign in the initial flurry of free agency, but it looks like receiver Kenny Golladay has no shortage of suitors. The former Lion spent Wednesday night meeting with GM Ryan Pace and head coach Matt Nagy of the Bears, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.

It sounds like Golladay staying in the NFC North is now a real possibility. As Schefter notes Golladay will visit the Giants Thursday, and we’ve heard there’s mutual interest between those two sides. The Bengals have also reportedly made Golladay an offer. The receiver market has been by all accounts weak so far, causing many of the big names to still be unsigned. Curtis Samuel got a nice contract from Washington yesterday, but there haven’t been too many other big deals handed out to wideouts yet.

The Bears’ interest is especially notable since they’ve already franchise tagged Allen Robinson. There were rumors earlier this offseason that Robinson could be tagged and traded, so that would seemingly be a possibility if they ink Golladay to a long-term deal. Or Chicago could just be trying to form what would be a truly elite 1-2 duo with Robinson and Golladay together.

It would certainly make life a lot easier for new quarterback signee Andy Dalton. Detroit drafted Golladay in the third-round out of Northern Illinois back in 2017, and he quickly blossomed into a stud.

He had 1,063 yards in 2018, and then 1,190 yards in 2019 to go with a league-leading 11 touchdown catches. Everyone was excited for his 2020 campaign with Matthew Stafford, but unfortunately injuries limited him to only five games.

The Dolphins were also rumored to be interested in his services the week before free agency opened. It’ll be very interesting to see what kind of money he lands, as he’ll definitely be seeking well north of $15MM annually and likely closer to $20MM.

Mutual Interest Between Giants, Golladay

March 18th, 2021 at 1:54pm CST by Sam Robinson

THURSDAY: Golladay will visit the Giants today, according to veteran NFL reporter Josina Anderson (on Twitter). The sides will meet this afternoon, with Anderson noting the summit is expected to take some time. Golladay clashed with the Lions’ Matt Patricia-led coaching staff, per NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo (video link), so it will be interesting to see how ex-Patricia coworker Joe Judge will proceed.

WEDNESDAY: The Giants have one of the top free agents in their sights. They are expected to bring Kenny Golladay in for a visit, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter).

While the Giants were rumored to be Golladay suitors ahead of the franchise tag deadline, Rapoport adds the former Lions standout is also interested in a New York pact.

Golladay’s impending visit reminds of previous NFL eras, when big-ticket free agents would make trips to teams’ facilities before signing. Golladay’s reputation would put him above the current caliber of player who would need to make a visit before seeing a high-end offer, but the four-year Lions wideout saw multiple injuries limit him to just five games last season.

The receiver market has not moved considerably yet, and the players who have made commitments have not received monster offers. Golladay, JuJu Smith-Schuster, T.Y. Hilton and Will Fuller remain unattached. Though street free agents like Emmanuel Sanders and John Brown agreed to terms with teams, as did UFAs Corey Davis, Marvin Jones and A.J. Green, key receiver dominoes have yet to fall. Among wideouts, only Davis has signed for more than $10MM per year thus far this year.

To the surprise of some, the Lions passed on using their franchise tag on Golladay. Given this visit development, perhaps the team was leery about potential compensation for the former third-round pick. The Giants and Dolphins have been the teams linked to Golladay thus far, but not much has emerged on this front this week.

The 6-foot-4 boundary wideout has two 1,000-yard seasons on his resume, and his Pro Bowl year (2019) came when Matthew Stafford missed half the season due to injury. The Giants cut ex-Golladay teammate Golden Tate but still have complementary-type receivers Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton under contract. They also are taking a flier on disappointing Bengals top-10 pick John Ross. If healthy, Golladay would fit as the leader of this corps. But it remains to be seen which other teams will make plays for the 27-year-old target.

Bengals Submit Offer To Kenny Golladay

March 17th, 2021 at 5:41pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Kenny Golladay news cycle continues to develop. Shortly after the former Lions receiver’s Giants visit surfaced, ESPN.com’s Dianna Russini reports the Bengals have made Golladay an offer (Twitter link).

Other teams are in on Golladay as well, per Russini, but he does intend to visit New York to meet with Giants brass. The Bengals just saw A.J. Green defect to the Cardinals, but the team also is fairly well positioned at receiver.

The Bengals’ offer does not appear to have moved the needle for Golladay. Cincinnati proposed what Albert Breer of SI.com characterizes as a one-year, “prove it”-type contract (Twitter link). While Golladay may circle back to the Bengals, he will continue his free agency process.

Cincinnati received a quality glimpse of Tee Higgins‘ potential last season, and Tyler Boyd is signed long-term. Green played on an $18MM franchise tag last season, opening a spot for Golladay to work with Joe Burrow. The Bengals have used a few high picks on receivers in recent years, from Higgins to Boyd to John Ross. The latter, a top-10 pick, agreed to terms with the Giants this week.

Although the Bengals are not traditionally a team known for big offseason spending, they deviated from their usual course last year by signing a few big-ticket free agents. Golladay is coming off a season in which hamstring and hip maladies limited him to five games, but the two-time 1,000-yard receiver would certainly qualify as a splashy addition. With the Giants in the running and the Dolphins being linked to the four-year veteran before the market opened, this signing will not come cheap.

Dolphins Expected To Pursue Kenny Golladay

March 9th, 2021 at 3:54pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Lions opted against tagging Kenny Golladay, and the rebuilding team now risks losing its No. 1 wide receiver in free agency next week. A team that resided in the rebuilding phase recently will almost certainly make a strong pitch.

Expected to pursue multiple receiver upgrades, the Dolphins are believed to have significant interest in adding Golladay, Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald notes. While they will have company, should Golladay indeed hit the market, Beasley adds the team is “determined” to sign a No. 1 wide receiver.

With Allen Robinson and Chris Godwin being tagged Tuesday, Golladay best fits this description. Though A.J. Green and T.Y. Hilton have better resumes, both are north of 30. Golladay is older for a 2017 draftee, being set to turn 28 this year, and is coming off an injury-marred season. But the tags for Godwin and Robinson ensure the four-year Lions contributor will have a strong market. Hilton, however, is believed to be interested in joining the Dolphins. It is not yet clear if Golladay joins the longtime Colt in that regard.

As of Tuesday, the Dolphins hold nearly $35MM in cap space. Also expected to pursue Golladay, the Giants opted to keep Leonard Williams off the market with a tag that will be worth just more than $19MM or just more than $21MM. The Dolphins would have an edge here, with a Williams tag putting the Giants over the cap currently. The 6-foot-4 Golladay has two 1,000-yard seasons on his resume.

Miami has DeVante Parker signed to a long-term deal but is planning to augment its receiving group, which does have major questions otherwise. The Dolphins are also interested in signing Aaron Jones, who did not receive a tag from the Packers. The Dolphins will be a key team to monitor when the legal tampering period begins March 15.

Lions Won’t Franchise Tag Kenny Golladay

March 9th, 2021 at 12:00pm CST by Zachary Links

The Lions have gone on record to say that they want to keep Kenny Golladay. However, they won’t automatically keep him from the open market. The Lions have decided against using the franchise tag on their star wide receiver, as Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.

Now, the Lions have less than a week to keep Golladay on a new deal, before he can start chatting with other teams. From a financial perspective, it would behoove Golladay to wait. After the latest round of franchise tags and recent extensions, Golladay now profiles as one of the very best players on the open market.

Hamstring and hip injuries limited Golladay to just five games last year. All in all, he finished with 20 receptions for 338 yards and two touchdowns. It was hardly the platform year he wanted and, apparently, it wasn’t enough for the Lions to give him a top-5 salary at his position.

“We want to make the best decision for the Lions, and sometimes those decisions take a little bit longer,” GM Brad Holmes said recently. “We’re not gonna rush it, so whether it is a franchise tag on a [Romeo Okwara] or Kenny or whoever it is, we’ll definitely have a process in place that we believe in that we’re trusting … and we’re sticking to it and [making] sure it meets the Detroit Lions’ timeline and that’s really the thing that matters the most.”

The Lions now have the tag available for Okwara, but it’s not a given that they’ll cuff the edge rusher. It’s also not a given that Golladay is a goner, of course, though the Lions’ WR group is due for a reset no matter what. Veterans Marvin Jones, Danny Amendola, and Mohamed Sanu are also out of contract, leaving youngster Quintez Cephus as the last one left.

Lions GM On Kenny Golladay, Romeo Okwara

March 2nd, 2021 at 10:24am CST by Zachary Links

The Lions have only one franchise tag to give with two deserving players. When asked about tagging wide receiver Kenny Golladay or edge rusher Romeo Okwara, GM Brad Holmes indicated that the decision won’t be rushed. At the same time, it sounds like the Lions are hoping to keep both players in the fold for 2021.

“We want to make the best decision for the Lions, and sometimes those decisions take a little bit longer,” Holmes said (via NFL.com). “We’re not gonna rush it, so whether it is a franchise tag on a Romeo or Kenny or whoever it is, we’ll definitely have a process in place that we believe in that we’re trusting … and we’re sticking to it and [making] sure it meets the Detroit Lions’ timeline and that’s really the thing that matters the most.”

The Lions’ WR group is due for a reset, one way or another. Like Golladay, veterans Marvin Jones, Danny Amendola, and Mohamed Sanu are all out of contract, leaving youngster Quintez Cephus as the last one left. Golladay was limited to just five games last year, but his 2019 Pro Bowl campaign solidified him as a standout. He’s still only 27, and he’s just one year removed from a 65/1,190/11 stat line.

“I don’t think there’s any debate that Kenny has shown the ability to be a No. 1 receiver in this league, with that skill-set that everybody knows that he has,” Holmes said. “There’s also been no debate that Kenny’s been at the forefront of our mind in terms of making sure that we make the best possible decision for no only the Lions, but for Kenny. You’ll hear about what we’ll be doing shortly.”

The Lions — and the other 31 teams in the league — must make their franchise tag decisions by March 9.

Lions Hope To Keep Kenny Golladay

February 24th, 2021 at 10:28am CST by Zachary Links

Some have wondered whether Kenny Golladay could price his way out of Detroit this offseason. However, with weeks to go before free agency, Lions exec Chris Spielman tells WXYT-FM that Golladay — and the wide receiver position in general — is one of his very top priorities (via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press).

“I think Kenny is a, he’s a competitive guy and the thing that I’ve always admired most about Kenny when doing the games on TV is his ability to win the 50/50 ball,” said Spielman, an ex-linebacker and broadcaster who serves as one of the organization’s top executives. “I just think his size and what he can bring to the table is something that a lot of people liked about Kenny Golladay, including me.”

The Lions — like most teams this year – are facing a numbers crunch due to the anticipated salary cap decrease. As they rebuild for the near-term and long-term, Spielman says he’ll be looking at talent and character in equal measure.

“In any philosophy, you can fill in voids in free agency, but you can’t buy a locker room,” Spielman said. “That’s been a philosophy for a lot of teams. And generally, what I believe is that you want to build your team through the draft. So it’s kind of, draft, develop and re-sign. And I think that’s hopefully the direction that I think the Lions will take.”

When it comes to Golladay, the Lions figure to have lots of competition if/when he reaches the open market. The Giants, who are eyeing a major WR upgrade, are expected to be among his top suitors.

Giants Interested In Kenny Golladay?

February 18th, 2021 at 8:27pm CST by Sam Robinson

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.

Lions Expected To Franchise WR Kenny Golladay?

February 16th, 2021 at 6:55pm CST by Ben Levine

You could make a good argument that Kenny Golladay is the top free agent wideout, but there’s a chance he won’t even make it that far. Multiple sources have told CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora that the Lions will ultimately slap Golladay with the franchise tag.

It would make sense for the Lions to follow that route, especially from a financial perspective. As La Canfora notes, the going rate for a player of Golladay’s caliber is probably around $19MM. The franchise tag is expected to come in around $16MM, which is a significant discount on a Pro Bowler. Plus, if the Lions commit to a full rebuild and clear house, franchising and subsequently trading Golladay would garner the front office some extra draft assets.

On the flip side, Golladay probably won’t be too thrilled about having to settle for the franchise tag, especially after he was unable to work out an extension with the organization during the 2020 season. The Lions have also hired a new coaching staff, revamped their front office, and traded franchise quarterback Matthew Stafford, an indication that they may be bottoming out before becoming contenders. While Golladay hasn’t been a headache during his tenure in Detroit (he even said that he’d welcome a return), the wideout would have non-financial reasons to not be thrilled with his situation.

The 2017 third-round burst onto the scene during his sophomore campaign, and he followed that up with a Pro Bowl campaign in 2019, hauling in 65 receptions for 1,190 yards and 11 touchdowns. Injuries limited Golladay to only five games in 2020, with the 27-year-old compiling 20 receptions for 338 yards and two scores.

Lions To Place Kenny Golladay On IR

December 31st, 2020 at 10:41am CST by Zachary Links

For all intents and purposes, the Lions’ season is over. It’s also officially over for wide receiver Kenny Golladay, interim head coach Darrell Bevell announced.

Golladay has been out of commission with a hip injury and limited to just five games throughout the year. It’s hardly the platform he wanted with free agency on the horizon. The 27-year-old, ideally, says that he would like to stay in Detroit for 2021 and beyond. But he also wants a market value contract, which could put him in the $18-20MM-per-season range — provided that he’s healthy.

“You know, [the Lions] believed in me,” Golladay said recently. “If it doesn’t work out, it doesn’t work out. Then I go somewhere else and ball out and play. But like I said, I’m a loyal person and of course I want to be here. I started my career here.”

The Lions, meanwhile, are in a holding pattern after the dismissal of Bob Quinn. The Lions’ next GM — whoever that may be — would have to clear significant salary cap space to either franchise tag Golladay or furnish him with a lucrative long-term pact.

Golladay’s fourth season will end with just 20 catches for 338 yards and two touchdowns. It’s a far cry from his 2019 showing of 65 grabs for 1,190 yards and an NFL-leading 11 receiving TDs, leading to his first-ever Pro Bowl nod.

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