Kenny Golladay headlines top reunion options for Matthew Stafford in LA

One team’s trash is another one’s treasure

A lot of talk has been made about a Robert Woods or OBJ reunion with the Los Angeles Rams and rightfully so. Woods and Beckham made the most of their time in the Californian sun but I would argue another reunion is more intriguing for LA.

The Rams should instead consider two receivers who’ve had the best seasons of their respective careers with Matthew Stafford throwing them the ball. Detroit is typically where careers go to die yet Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones were able to thrive given who their quarterback was.

LA needs greater stability at the position after such an inconsistent and injury-plagued year exposed the lack of receiving depth. What they need is someone to take the burden off Cooper Kupp. This mentality of “F it, Kupp’s down there somewhere” isn’t going to cut it anymore. That’s why the Rams and Stafford need options and I’ll begin with the guy being run out of his city.

Kenny Golladay

Earlier this week, the New York Giants announced they would be releasing wide receiver Kenny Golladay on March 15, the first day of the new league year. For a team in desperate need of receiving help, it’s quite telling what the Giants thought of their ghost from free agency past. Golladay never found his footing in the Big Apple.

Because of his clear lack of production, the poor guy was relentlessly mocked on social media. Including but not limited to this lengthy highlight reel with the G-Men:

What fans have forgotten is how good Kenny was with Stafford in Detroit. Golladay had back-to-back 1,000 yard campaigns and even led the league with 11 touchdown receptions in 2019.

For his career there, he totaled 3,068 receiving yards and 21 touchdowns in 47 games. Golladay’s chemistry with his old teammate was evident during his lone Pro Bowl season. It’s lazy to trash on a player who’s already being kicked while he’s down. He was able to produce at a high level once and perhaps it’ll never happen again for him. Kenny’s days as a WR1 are likely over. However, LA could use just a fraction of those highly productive years and be fine should they take a chance on the six-year vet.

Marvin Jones

Marvin Jones has been an underrated receiver his entire career. That feels like an unfair statement considering the guy has been a solid contributor everywhere he’s gone. Even after both guys signed with new teams, Jones still holds an affinity for his former quarterback who went onto greener pastures.

Jones was at his best with the Lions as he had the only 1,000-yard season of his career with Stafford in 2017. He was a scoring threat that snuck his way into the team record books as well.

Not only was his production criminally underappreciated in Detroit but so was his natural rapport with his QB1. Matthew Stafford has the remarkable ability to make any receiver look elite. Sometimes that becomes a double-edged sword when he forces throws into windows he shouldn’t but overall it’s worked quite well for him. No one would ever confuse Jones for a Hall of Famer but his connection with Stafford at one point had some Calvin Johnson flair mixed in.

Both Golladay and Jones would be excellent additions that LA wouldn’t have to pony up much money for. Each one could be signed on a one, possibly two-year deal. Given they won’t be as highly coveted as others on the market, the Rams couldn’t go wrong in taking a chance on either one. Their resumes with Stafford speaks volumes and if the team is wanting their quarterback to return to his ‘21 highs, this would be the way to go about it.

Out of these two, I’d prefer Marvin Jones. LA showed interest in him before and I believe they’ll show it once again this offseason. On a low-risk, high-reward deal, the Rams would be reaping in the benefits with a guy who already has such a great feel for his QB.