A huge rumor broke out this past Friday night involving wide receiver Kadarius Toney and that the NY Giants were interested in trading him. It was reported by Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News via Twitter/Tik Tok and sent Giants fans into a whirlwind of thoughts and opinions on whether or not a trade should happen.
Looking at it from both sides of the spectrum, it is very odd that Toney did not report to voluntary minicamp last week. Even fellow wide receiver Kenny Golladay chimed in his thoughts about his teammates that opted to not attend and why it was so important everyone showed up to get to work early this offseason.
In the grand scheme of things, we don’t know if these rumors are true involving Toney but what we do know is that something is definitely up. Whether he’s distracted with other things this offseason or is somehow disgruntled into just his second year in the NFL, he definitely needs some coaching, mentoring, and well, support.
The NY Giants should not trade away Kadarius Toney
Last week’s minicamp was voluntary so really, there is no harm there. It’s a shame Toney didn’t show up considering the Giants have a whole new coaching staff, general manager, and a head coach that are all ready to turn this franchise into a contender again. At the end of the day, it’s not a horrible thing he didn’t show up but it definitely put a spotlight on him for all the wrong reasons.
Toney is just 23-years-old and obviously has a lot to learn not just in the NFL but in life. The Giants are a great franchise that easily has all the resources needed to help Toney mature as a player and improve both on and off the field.
Even though last season Toney didn’t do much of anything in his rookie year, he still has enormous potential to be a premier No. 1 wide receiver for the Giants over the next few years. Don’t let his poor stats in 2021 fool you, Toney was a beast at Florida and is a natural-born playmaker.
In four years at Florida, Toney totaled 1,590 receiving yards, 120 receptions, 12 touchdowns, and averaged 13.3 yards per reception. The talent is obviously there but such is the case with many young NFL stars, they just need that veteran leadership presence around them, great coaching to help elevate their careers, and some strong mentoring to get back on the right track.
Over time, we’ll all know where Toney stands with the Giants and hopefully, this is nothing more than a minor setback during the offseason. It would be a shame to trade away a future NFL star that was just drafted as a first-round pick last year when there might not be a need to. Hopefully, this will all blow over and once mandatory minicamp comes, both sides clear the air, and everyone can get back to work focused on the task at hand.