5 NFL Teams That Should Sign WR Kenny Golladay

The NFL franchise tag deadline came and went on Tuesday with a slew of key big names earning one-year deals from their incumbent team. The tag can be a last-ditch effort to keep an impact playmaker or spur a long-term deal or trade. One surprising name who wasn’t tagged was Lions receiver Kenny Golladay, among our top 10 free agents.

The 27-year-old seemed primed to be tagged as the Lions transition to a new regime. The roster sorely lacks playmakers on both sides of the ball despite being capped out. Retaining Golladay to pair with a first-round receiver would’ve been an excellent way to keep the Lions’ offense a threat with Jared Goff now under center.

Th 6’4”, 214-pound Golladay has accumulated 3,068 yards, 21 touchdowns, and 141 first downs on 183 career receptions. He’s a tremendous big-play threat, and is easily the best receiver on the market. We’re going to break down his five best fits away from Detroit.

The time to spend is now for general manager Chris Ballard. His league-shaking trade for Carson Wentz was the first sign this regime is ready to take a bold step forward. Now Ballard needs to give Wentz and Frank Reich a reliable big-play threat to take the offense to the next level.

Pairing Golladay with Michael Pittman Jr. would give Reich a ton of options as far as vertical routes and moving each into the slot to hunt matchups. One of the best facets of the Eagles’ offense in 2017, that Reich was in charge of, was how Alshon Jeffrey and Zach Ertz played off each other, and these two large but gifted route-runners can replicate some of the same downfield looks.

Ballard may not want to spend a large chunk of his remaining cap on one position since he has to find defensive playmakers at corner and defensive end, but landing Golladay will elevate the offense unlike another signing.

The Colts have had tough injury luck on their receiver depth chart as both TY Hilton and Parris Campbell have missed time with significant ailments. Golladay’s missed his fair share of games throughout his career, playing in all 16 contests just once in four years. The Colts may opt for someone with a better track record despite their need for a true star at the position.

The Packers have continued to make head-scratching moves over the last year when it comes to building this offense. They opted to sign veteran receiver Devin Funchess instead of a speedy, higher upside option, then drafted Jordan Love and AJ Dillon in the first two rounds of last year’s draft. Dillon may pay off, but the Packers still offered Aaron Jones $9 million per-year during the season, making it clear they didn’t simply draft Dillon to save money for other positions.

They can right some of those wrongs by landing a quality No. 2 to Davante Adams this offseason. Aaron Rodgers is one of the best deep passers of all-time, and Golladay would give him a unique and new skill set to utilize. Rodgers has never had someone who can dominate like Golladay at the catch point on vertical routes.

The money is doable even if the team may have to be creative with the contract structure. Green Bay has built depth nicely over the years and needs some assets poured into the offensive line still, but it’s time to land a legitimate star as Rodgers can still play at an MVP-level. Golladay should be intrigued by upgrading to a real Super Bowl contender with a Hall of Fame quarterback.

A non-traditional fit based on their offensive approach, the Ravens offer another championship-caliber roster for Golladay. Baltimore has the worst cast of receivers in the league, so adding two options between free agency and the draft is a must. Lamar Jackson can’t overcome his own limitations and struggles without legitimate receivers.

Golladay would maximize Jackson’s effectiveness going downfield thanks to his insanely large catch radius and ability to track passes. He’d also help Hollywood Brown by taking attention away from the speedster. Everything gets easier when there’s a legitimate alpha receiver who can move around formations.

The toughest sell here is Baltimore would be opting for a star receiver over a great blocker or pass-rusher. Golladay would be taking a leap of faith that he’d still produce quality numbers too, and not get stuck into a run-dominant offense for the duration of his prime. Baltimore can sell him on the latter, but it’s unclear if they’re willing to go all-in on one talent with their limited money.

As soon as the Dolphins cut Kyle Van Noy, there was a collective expectation around the league that Miami was sure to chase top receivers in free agency to go with their higher first-round pick. Miami is serious about building an adequate unit around Tua Tagovailoa quickly. The best way to do that is get a variety of playmakers and skill sets in the building.

Golladay and DeVante Parker would give two large threats who can play inside or out for Tua. Parker is better at creating after the catch, whereas Golladay is a sideline dominator on jump balls. Miami could pair a speedster like Jaylen Waddle or DeVonta Smith with these two and strain defenses to their limit, if they choose.

Getting Tua to be more aggressive is paramount for this offense to reach whatever peak it’ll eventually have. While Tua may need more speed than size, Golladay is a more dominant talent than anyone on the board at the position. He also fits the timeline thanks to his age.

Jacksonville will quickly be a team to watch thanks to Trevor Lawrence and Urban Meyer. The Jaguars are again among the league lead in cap room, and have plenty of ways to maximize their $71 million. Filling out their receiving corps with someone who perfectly compliments Lawrence makes perfect sense.

Lawrence is used to making sideline throws to one-on-one targets and few win more than Golladay. With DJ Chark and Laviska Shenault already on the roster, the Jaguars can easily justify adding a new skill set to the mix. There’d be plenty of speed and size to the unit, and enough variety to keep defenses off-balanced.

Golladay could grow with Lawrence and help fast-track a rebuild that may not take too long with the right draft picks and signings. Jacksonville has better building blocks on both sides of the ball than most teams in their situation. Golladay would be a cherry on top of a fun, young offensive core.