Giants plan on releasing wide receiver Kenny Golladay
An uneventful tenure is coming to an end in New York
Coming into the 2021 season, Giants fans were enamored with the signing of star free agent Kenny Golladay.
While he was coming off an uninspiring 2020 campaign due to injury, he was only a year removed from a Pro Bowl season where he notched 11 scores and 1,190 yards on 65 receptions for the Lions.
Looking for a dynamic playmaker to stretch the field for Daniel Jones, the highlights never came and by the end of 2022, Golladay was all but forgotten as a member of the Giants.
After a disappointing inaugural season in New York, things turned further south this past year, where Golladay had a total of six catches for 81 yards and one touchdown.
Between underwhelming production and a regime that didn't sign him in free agency, the writing was on the wall when it came to Golladay's future in New York.
With an upcoming cap hit of $21.4 million in 2023, Golladay will now allocate $14.7 million in dead money while saving a little over $6 million for the Giants.
Luckily for New York, they are in one of the better cap situations in the league, sitting in fourth place with a little under $44 million in cap space pending Golladay's release.
With money to spend and five picks in the top 130 of the 2023 NFL Draft, the Giants can wash their hands of a legendary free agency miss, and fully embrace the Schoen-Daboll era.
Predicted by many to be under .500 in terms of wins, the Giants outperformed expectations in 2022, reaching the playoffs with a roster deficient in talent.
As far as Golladay's future, the receiver is still on the right side of 30 and may do better with a change of scenery. His former teammate Kadarius Toney proved this, winning a Super Bowl in Kansas City despite being New York's first-round pick just one year ago.
The Giants are showing alignment between the coaching staff and the front office, trading and releasing players that no longer provide value.
With their first full offseason to mold the team as they see fit, it could be the beginning of something special in the big apple.
Featured image via © Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
