Sunday open thread: Did the New York Giants overpay for Kenny Golladay?

On Saturday afternoon, Kenny Golladay shocked many by signing a monster deal with the New York Giants. After a full week of wide receivers getting either short-term or modest contracts in free agency, many were starting to believe Golladay wouldn’t get anywhere near the $18.5 million he was reportedly seeking.

But as talks with the Giants heated up and the two spent 24 hours together hammering out details and making sure the two were good fits for each other, New York must have liked what they were hearing, because Golladay’s deal almost got exactly what he was looking for.

Four years at $72 million, for an average of $18 million a year. That includes $40 million guaranteed.

Golladay, who turns 28 this year, bet on himself to earn a huge paycheck, and despite a poor season in 2020 and a COVID-depleted cap this year, he absolutely did it. Good for him.

But one has to ask, did the Giants make the right move here? It was always unlikely the Lions were going to hand Golladay that type of contract given the current state of their team, but is it worth it for New York?

Today’s Question of the Day is:

Did the Giants overpay for Kenny Golladay?

My answer: It depends on what’s meant by “overpay.” The Giants did what they had to do to secure Kenny Golladay, so in a sense, they paid market value. They did not overpay. While initial reports suggested the Chicago Bears offered just a one-year deal worth between $11 and $12 million, by the end of Saturday, it was clear their offer was likely much more significant than that:

But will the Giants get $18 million per year’s worth of play from Golladay? That’s a much different question, and it really depends on what you think of Golladay. Personally, I think we’re talking about a receiver who just about every Lions fan believed 12 months ago was ready to assume a place in the top 10 at this position, if he wasn’t already there.

An injury-riddled season in 2020 turned a lot of Lions fans against him, but I truly believe he can still establish himself in that top 10. There’s an argument to be made that even a top-10 receiver may still not be worth $18 million a year, but there are already five receivers making more than him.

This signing is certainly a risk for the Giants, but it is one that could pay dividends. Just look at the offensive weapons that team has for Daniel Jones right now.

I’m not sure the Giants are in a place to really compete for a title right away, but Golladay is likely in the prime of his career. If there was a time to pay for him, it’s probably right now.

I probably wouldn’t have advised giving him $18 million a year—and to be fair, we don’t know the full details of the contract yet—but I fully understand why the Giants did it.

Your turn.