NY Giants sign Kenny Golladay, landing best WR available: Grade

The bad

For as prolific and productive as Golladay has been on the field throughout his career, the NY Giants clearly had significant concerns, if they preferred to bring him in for a visit prior to signing him.

As sources told GMenHQ Wednesday, Golladay’s visit to the Garden State began with a medical physical prior to the two sides meeting. As if this were a 1990s free agent courtship, rather than a transaction made in 2021, when the parameters of agreements are typically hammered out in the weeks leading up to free agency officially beginning … wink, wink.

Obviously, the Giants wanted their own medical team to get a look at Golladay’s hip, and it is always a bit of a risk to pay a premium for a player coming off a significant injury.

Likewise, there have been whispers that it was a bitter end last season for Golladay and his relationship with former Lions head coach Matt Patricia, who likely sealed his fate among Lions players when he frequently made them practice outdoors in snowy conditions late in seasons. Golladay is far from alone in issues with Patricia, who rubbed several Lions players the wrong way.

Judge and Patricia previously being on Bill Belichick’s staff together might have colored the Giants’ head coach’s views of what happened in Detroit.

Between injuries and perceived character concerns, it seems the Giants viewed some risk to committing to Golladay long-term.