The Record (Troy, NY)

Giants sign WR Kenny Golladay to 4-year, $80 million deal

- By TOM CANAVAN

The New York Giants’ anemic offensive is adding quite possibly the best free agent receiver on the market.

The Giants on Saturday signed former Detroit Lions star Kenny Golladay to a four-year contract worth roughly $F0 million in the hopes of giving quarterbac­k Daniel Jones a big-threat receiver.

Golloday spent three days with the Giants as the two sides got to know each other and the team’s medical staff got a chance to examine the 27-year-old, who was limited to five games last season by a hip flexor problem.

Golladay said he was impressed with what coach Joe Judge and offensive coordinato­r Jason Garrett told him about the offense, adding the decision to sign was

a no-brainer.

“This team is going to get a competitor, a guy who is going to come and work,” Golladay said. “He is going to try to push other guys and have fun with it. You know, I want to have fun while I’m doing this. That’s what I’m doing it for. FI’mFjust a playmaker.”

His statistics are a testament to that.

A third-round draft choice in 2017, Golladay played his first four seasons with the Lions. He appeared in 47 games with 39 starts. He caught 1F3 passes for 3,06F yards and 21 touchdowns, including a league-high 11 scoring catches in 2019.

Golladay had 20 receptions for 33F yards and two TDs last season. The previous two seasons, he had more than 1,000 yards receiving in each campaign and 16 touchdown catches overall.

The Giants’ top three receivers last season combined for only seven TD catches. Darius Slayton had 50 rceptions for a team-high 751 yards and three touchdowns. Sterling Shepard had a team-high 66 catches for 656 yards and three touchdowns. Tight end Fvan Fngram had 66 catches for 654 yards and one touchdown.

All three are returning to one of the NFL’s lowest scoring offenses, along with running back Saquon Barkley, who was lost for the season in the second game with a major knee injury.

Golladay said the Giants looked at his hip and it’s fine.

Several Giants players reached out to Golladay, including Jones, who was the No. 6 overall pick in the 2019 draft.

“He’s still kind of fresh in the league, a little bit,” Golladay said of Jones. “I kind of want to grow with him. You know, I’m still growing as a player and I feel like me and him can do some good things.”

Some teams had concerns about Golladay because he complained about the Lions not giving him a new contract and he tweeted his approval after coach Matt Patricia was fired last season.

 ?? PHELAN M. EBENHACK - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ?? FILE - In this Oct. 18, 2020, file photo, Detroit Lions wide receiver Kenny Golladay (19) celebrates a reception during the second half of an NFL football game against the Jacksonvil­le Jaguars in Jacksonvil­le, Fla.
PHELAN M. EBENHACK - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE - In this Oct. 18, 2020, file photo, Detroit Lions wide receiver Kenny Golladay (19) celebrates a reception during the second half of an NFL football game against the Jacksonvil­le Jaguars in Jacksonvil­le, Fla.

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