Kadarius Toney

WR Notes: Toney, Rams, Lions, Cards, Cooks

September 30th, 2022 at 4:48pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Giants will enter their Week 4 game with Richie James, David Sills and Kenny Golladay as their top available wide receivers. Wan’Dale Robinson will miss a third straight game, while Kadarius Toney will be out for a second. The Toney-Giants relationship is steadily deteriorating. This regime is “clearly” not high on the Dave Gettleman-era first-round pick, Ralph Vacchiano of Fox Sports writes. Repeated injury problems have slowed Toney with the Giants, who saw the Eagles trade in front of them to nab DeVonta Smith last year. Reports connected the Giants to the Heisman winner ahead of last year’s draft. Toney will have missed nine career games by Sunday, due to various lower-body ailments, and the current Giants regime’s Golladay handling shows it is not afraid to bury bad investments. It would seem Darius Slayton — another player who has not impressed the current staff, leading to trade buzz — will see more run in Week 4, but Vacchiano adds the Giants will likely be looking for at least two new wideouts in 2023. Toney joined Slayton in being linked in trade rumors, albeit briefly, this offseason. Robinson, a second-round rookie, appears the only lock to be back.

Here is the latest from the receiver scene around the league:

Allen Robinson flashed often during Rams training camp, and determining this signing will fail after three games is ill-advised. But early indications are Robinson’s 2021 Bears performance was not an outlier. The veteran dropped a touchdown pass against the Cardinals and has just seven catches for 88 yards with Los Angeles. The Rams came in with a monster offer — three years, $46.5MM; $30MM fully guaranteed — to sign the former Jaguars and Bears wideout, using their cap space on the ninth-year player after Von Miller chose the Bills. Other teams were interested in Robinson, albeit at lower price points, but SI.com’s Albert Breer notes teams did not like what Robinson put on tape. That is not exactly surprising, considering how badly Robinson’s final Bears season (38 receptions, 410 yards, one touchdown) went. But the early returns on Robinson’s Rams deal are not promising. Rams-Odell Beckham Jr. connections will likely continue.
The Lions are being patient with Jameson Williams, who is recovering from an ACL tear sustained during the national championship game. Williams is on Detroit’s reserve/NFI list, and while the first-round wideout could return in Week 5, he will not. The Alabama product is likelier to be back in early November, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press posits. Williams recently posted a video of him running and cutting. A second-half return has always been rumored for Williams, whom the Lions traded up 20 spots to draft. But no setbacks having occurred here obviously represents a good sign for the rebuilding franchise.
The Cardinals‘ receiving corps will not be at full strength until at least Week 7, when DeAndre Hopkins is eligible to return from his PED suspension. But the team may have one of its previously unavailable weapons in uniform Sunday. Rondale Moore is tracking toward returning from his hamstring injury, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com tweets. The 2021 second-rounder, who caught 54 passes for 435 yards as a rookie, has missed Arizona’s first three games. He managed three limited practices this week. Marquise Brown, who suffered a foot injury in Week 3, is also likely to play. A.J. Green will miss Week 4 with a knee injury.
After Brandin Cooks played one game on the base salary he locked in by signing a two-year, $39.76MM extension in April, the Texans converted $831K of that base into a signing bonus. The Texans saved $554K with the move, Wilson notes. Cooks’ salary is down to $1.17MM; it spikes to $18MM next year. Cooks, who is now on his third contract, is signed through 2024.

Giants Looking For Wide Receiver Help?

September 20th, 2022 at 10:10pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although the Giants’ setup was not exactly conducive to impressive receiving statistics last season, Kenny Golladay has not rebounded from his disappointing 2021 slate. The Giants have reduced the high-priced veteran’s playing time significantly.

The former two-time 1,000-yard receiver played just two snaps in the Giants’ Week 2 win over the Panthers, seeing his usage plummet drastically from a 46-snap opener in Tennessee. With the Giants’ new regime not being the staff that authorized Golladay’s four-year, $72MM contract, the ex-Lions standout faces an uncertain Big Apple future.

Golladay, 28, joins Darius Slayton in failing to impress Brian Daboll‘s coaching staff. Long a trade candidate, Slayton has played four offensive snaps this season. The Giants’ 2019 and 2020 receiving leader took a pay cut, one that essentially negated his proven performance escalator contract-year bump, to stay on the team. But a Giants team seemingly flush with receiving talent has not seen too much from that contingent, beyond Sterling Shepard bouncing back early from his 2021 Achilles tear.

The team appears interested in shaking up the situation. Daboll has FaceTimed with free agent wideouts, according to ProFootballNetwork.com’s Aaron Wilson. Help is limited at this point on the NFL calendar, and the Giants do have a highly touted player acquired by their current regime — second-round pick Wan’Dale Robinson — preparing to make his debut. Robinson has missed the team’s first two games due to injury. Daboll passed on a Cole Beasley reunion; the ex-Bills slot joined the Buccaneers on Tuesday. Will Fuller and Odell Beckham Jr., an unrealistic Big Apple return candidate, headline the available receivers. As it stands, Big Blue’s wideout situation has produced some interesting on-field configurations early in Daboll’s run.

Daboll informed Golladay last week the team was effectively benching him for David Sills, a 2019 Bills UDFA who landed with the Giants later that year. Despite Daboll’s former team not having room for the Delaware product three years ago, this reunion has led to the most work of the young player’s career. Sills played 67 offensive snaps against the Panthers, catching three passes for 37 yards. Sills primarily worked alongside Shepard and Richie James, who led the Giants in receiving with five catches for 51 yards last week.

“I told him during the week that we were going to go with Sills,” Daboll said of Golladay’s demotion. “He acted like a pro. I said, ‘Be ready to go.’ Does that mean it’s going to be next week? No. It takes a lot of mental toughness, too. That’s not an easy thing to hear. I appreciate them being professional.”

A 2019 Pro Bowler, Golladay is known more for his contested-catch abilities than separation skills. The 6-foot-4 target drew interest from the Bears, Ravens, Dolphins and Bengals during the 2021 free agency period — one overshadowed by the COVID-19-induced salary cap drop — and signed with the Giants on a deal that included $28MM fully guaranteed and doubled as the top contract given to a UFA wideout last year. In an offense that saw both an OC change (from Jason Garrett to Freddie Kitchens) and Daniel Jones‘ injury give way to overmatched backups Mike Glennon and Jake Fromm, Golladay caught 37 passes for 521 yards and no touchdowns.

He did not put together a good offseason this year — one that featured an unspecified surgery — and is an obvious 2023 release candidate. For now, Golladay’s contract makes such a move prohibitive. The Giants can get out of the deal with a $7.9MM 2023 dead-money hit, should they designate Golladay as a post-June 1 cut. Golladay’s $21.2MM cap hit is not only tops among Giants; it ranks as the league’s eighth-highest 2022 cap number.

Golladay’s swift decline comes as the Giants are barely using 2021 first-rounder Kadarius Toney. The oft-injured wideout played seven snaps in the team’s opener and caught two passes for zero yards in Week 2. The Giants hoped to involve Toney more in Week 2, per Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post, but a hamstring tweak changed those plans. Toney still played more against the Panthers (28 snaps), however. Trade rumors encircled Toney this spring, and though those quieted quickly, the Dave Gettleman-era draftee’s status rounds out one of the league’s more interesting position groups through two weeks.

NFC Injury Notes: Giants, Cowboys, Seahawks, Vikings

September 17th, 2022 at 8:00pm CST by Adam La Rose

Kadarius Toney‘s NFL tenure has been marred by injuries, and another one appears to have popped up. Head coach Brian Daboll told reporters that the Giants wideout is dealing with tightness in his hamstring, an issue which began earlier this week in practice (Twitter link via Dan Duggan of the Athletic).

The 2021 first-rounder also dealt with a hamstring issue in training camp last summer, and made frequent appearances on the injury report throughout the campaign. He was limited to 10 games in his debut season, and required knee surgery this past offseason. Between availability concerns and a number of other issues, the Florida product was involved in trade talk, though the Giants’ new front office made it clear that Toney was not being shopped.

The 23-year-old played just seven snaps during New York’s season opener. While he may suit up tomorrow, the workload he will be able to handle will be worth monitoring closely.

Here are some other injury updates from the NFC:

Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy confirmed that receiver Michael Gallup will sit out once again tomorrow, as noted by Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News (Twitter link). Gallup continues to recover from the torn ACL he suffered in January, and was expected to miss a few weeks to begin the 2022 campaign. “There is still a process of return to play that he has to finish,” McCarthy added. The news will once again make CeeDee Lamb the undisputed focal point of Dallas’ WR room as they look to bounce back from last week’s league-worst offensive output.
The Seahawks‘ secondary has suffered another blow. Starting nickel corner Justin Coleman has been ruled out for Week 2, per a team announcement. The 29-year-old played 77% of defensive snaps in the team’s upset win over the Broncos, but Seattle will likely now turn to rookie Coby Bryant on the inside. In addition, the team confirmed that depth safety Joey Blount will be sidelined, something which will further test their depth given the fact that Jamal Adams will miss the remainder of the season.
Second-round Vikings rookie Andrew Booth exited Minnesota’s Week 1 win with a quad injury. He has not recovered in time to be able to suit up on Monday, as confirmed by a team announcement. With the Clemson product sidelined, Chandon Sullivan could be in line for the start opposite Patrick Peterson once again. Kris Boyd and Akayleb Evans will provide depth as the Vikings look to move to 2-0.

Giants Rookie Wan’Dale Robinson In Line To Start?

July 30th, 2022 at 8:27pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Giants have a number of options to choose from at receiver, each of whom is more experienced than Wan’Dale Robinson. The second-round rookie is currently making a case for a starting role right away, however.

As noted by The Athletic’s Dan Duggan (subscription required), Robinson is currently occupying a first-team role in training camp practices. The other two spots, not surprisingly, have been taken up by Kenny Golladay and Kadarius Toney. That setup leaves a notable name in Darius Slayton relegated to backup work.

The veteran found himself in trade talks once again this offseason, one marked by the plethora of cost-cutting moves new general manager Joe Schoen was forced to make given the team’s salary cap situation. Slated to carry a charge of nearly $2.6MM this season, he could find himself amongst the team’s roster cuts if a trade partner can’t be found.

That leaves Robinson a path to significant reps early on his career, especially considering the disappointing first seasons in the Big Apple displayed by Golladay and Toney. Veteran Sterling Shepard will return for a seventh campaign after taking a pay cut this offseason, but his latest injury concern clouds his future beyond 2022. Robinson therefore faces little competition in terms of known commodities at a position of great importance to the Giants’ desired offensive turnaround.

After posting 1,445 scrimmage yards last season, the Kentucky product demonstrated his ability to produce significant numbers. The five-foot-11 slot man presents plenty of long-term potential for New York, but his inclusion with the starters ahead of Slayton in particular points to a heavier workload to begin his career than some would have expected.

Latest On Giants WR Kadarius Toney

July 11th, 2022 at 10:14pm CST by Ben Levine

Despite whispers that the Giants could consider moving Kadarius Toney, it sounds like the receiver is set to start for the Giants next season. According to ESPN’s Jordan Raanan, Toney and Kenny Golladay are the “clear front-runners” to start at outside wide receiver next season.

Without context, this isn’t overly surprising news. Toney was a first-round pick in last year’s draft, and teams rarely bail on investments like that so quickly. Plus, the receiver actually showed flashes when he was on the field, finishing the campaign with 39 receptions for 420 yards (although a large portion of that production came in a standout 10-reception, 189-yard game against the Cowboys).

However, injuries have already turned into a concern for the young receiver. Toney was limited during his first training camp because of hamstring injuries, and ankle, oblique and quadriceps injuries limited him to only 10 games as a rookie. The wideout also had offseason arthroscopic knee surgery, although the operation isn’t expected to sideline him for training camp.

Further, Toney was continually in the news last season, stemming from on-the-field issues (like the time he wore the wrong cleats or time he was tossed from practice for throwing a punch) or off-the-field issues (like “a lack of playbook study” or “poor meeting behavior”). With a new regime leading the way, there were rumors that the Giants were looking to move on from the wideout, especially following the selection of second-round slot receiver Wan’Dale Robinson. GM Joe Schoen publicly said that he wasn’t shopping Toney, but reports indicated that the front office was at least listening to offers.

Since Toney has stuck around this long, it seems pretty clear that the receiver will be on the Giants for at least the 2022 campaign. Assuming all goes right, he should be able to hold off competition from the likes of Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton for reps.

NFC East Notes: Cowboys, Commanders, Staff, Toney, Giants, Eagles

June 17th, 2022 at 12:23pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Cowboys and Commanders each ran afoul of NFL offseason rules during their OTA workouts this year. As a result, each team will lose 2023 practice time and each squad’s head coach received a six-figure fine. Both Mike McCarthy and Ron Rivera received $100K fines for workouts deemed over the line, the Dallas Morning News’ Calvin Watkins and ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano note (Twitter link). Washington will be short two OTA days in 2023 due to excessive contact. This marks the second consecutive year McCarthy received a fine for offseason overwork. He received a $50K fine last year, with the Cowboys being docked $100K and a 2022 OTA for 2021 violations. The Cowboys will be docked one OTA day in 2023. OTAs do not hold the role they once did, and teams have begun to limit offseason activities on their own. The Eagles will go into training camp after not holding a mandatory minicamp. But Dallas and Washington will need to make minor adjustments to their 2023 offseason schedules.

Here is the latest from the NFC East:

Injuries wrecked the Giants‘ offense last season, sidelining starters at just about every position. Some new issues cropped up this offseason. Neither Kenny Golladay nor Kadarius Toney participated fully at any point during Big Blue’s offseason program, per NJ.com’s Zack Rosenblatt, who adds Toney is dealing with a new knee injury (Golladay’s issue is unknown). Toney injuries have become a recurring problem for the Giants. Ankle, oblique and quadriceps issues limited Toney to 10 games last season, one that began after he missed most of training camp due to a hamstring problem. This year’s camp becomes more important for the 2021 first-rounder as a result of last year’s run of setbacks.
Toney still projects as part of Brian Daboll‘s first 53-man roster; Darius Slay ton might not. The Dave Gettleman-era investment has been mentioned in trade rumors, and The Athletic’s Dan Duggan views the former fifth-round pick as unlikely to be part of this year’s Giants edition (subscription required). The Giants are likely to continue shopping Slayton up until cut day, Duggan adds, as he would be their No. 5 receiver if everyone is healthy. Almost no one in the team’s top four (Golladay, Toney, Sterling Shepard, Wan’Dale Robinson) being healthy could point to Slayton staying. Shepard is still recovering from the Achilles tear he suffered last season. A two-time 700-yard receiver, Slayton is due a $2.54MM salary in 2022.
Both Shane Lemieux and Nick Gates were lost for the season early in the Giants’ miserable 2021 slate. While Lemieux is favored to start at left guard this season, Rosenblatt notes Gates might not return to action at all this season. This is not an out-of-the-blue development. Then-HC Joe Judge said Gates’ leg fracture sustained in Week 2 of last season could be career-threatening. That said, a report earlier this year gave Gates better odds at returning. The Giants gave Gates — a 16-game center starter in 2020 — a two-year, $6.82MM extension two years ago. But offseason addition Jon Feliciano is ticketed to take over at center.
The Eagles lost nearly all of their high-ranking front office staffers this offseason, seeing four of them leave for assistant GM gigs elsewhere. One of those, Andy Weidl, is now Omar Khan‘s right-hand man in Pittsburgh. Weidl worked with the Eagles for more than six years, and although he took over the team’s VP of player personnel post after Joe Douglas became the Jets’ GM in 2019, Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer notes Howie Roseman did not give Weidl as much input as Douglas had. This became an understandable source of friction for Weidl. The Eagles went in a different direction with their new Roseman right-hand men, promoting staffers without traditional scouting backgrounds (Jon Ferrari and Alec Hallaby) to assistant GM posts.

Giants WR Kadarius Toney Had Knee Scope

May 21st, 2022 at 12:52pm CST by Ben Levine

Kadarius Toney may or may not be playing for the Giants next season. However, the fact that he hasn’t been a full participant during OTAs has nothing to do with the trade drama. According to Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News (and passed along by Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com), the wide receiver recently had a knee scope.

This explains why Toney was spotted in a red jersey during this week’s practices. Fortunately for the Giants (or potential suitors), the arthroscopic surgery shouldn’t sideline the wideout for very long, and he’s expected to be good to go by the time training camp starts.

The Giants have reportedly listened to offers on the 2021 first-round pick, but the organization has also made it clear that they’re not actively shopping the wideout. The intriguing Florida product has struggled to stay on the field and been a bit of a headache off it for the Giants, leading to some tension. The organization also raised some eyebrows when they selected receiver Wan’Dale Robinson in the second round of the 2022 draft, adding the rookie to a crowded depth chart that also features Kenny Golladay, Sterling Shepard and Darius Slay ton.

While Toney may have started to wear out his welcome in New York, he’d still be a hot commodity on the trade market. He showed plenty of flashes as a rook, finishing the 2021 campaign with 39 receptions for 420 yards despite inconsistent play from the QB position. Further, as our own Sam Robinson recently pointed out, the Giants would take on $11MM in dead money by trading him. That means a suitor would only be on the hook for Toney’s rookie-deal base salaries, creating some additional value in trade talks.

Giants GM: Kadarius Toney Not Being Shopped

April 30th, 2022 at 2:38pm CST by Sam Robinson

We might be seeing the recent Kadarius Toney drama settle down, though the Giants’ draft actions do make their receiver depth chart quite crowded.

Still, Joe Schoen said (via The Athletic’s Dan Duggan, on Twitter) Toney is not being shopped. While the new Big Blue GM did not go into much detail on the Toney situation, he made his statement after being asked about the prospect of the 2021 first-round pick and Friday second-round choice (slot receiver Wan’Dale Robinson) coexisting.

The Giants exited Round 2 with a wideout surplus, with Toney and Robinson joining veterans Kenny Golladay, Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton. A 5-foot-8 target who caught 104 passes for 1,334 yards and seven touchdowns at Kentucky last season, Robinson adds an inside weapon to New York’s receiver stable — one Schoen compared to Bills 5-7 gadget player Isaiah McKenzie. But the team already houses slot contributors in Shepard and Toney.

The team reached an agreement to bring back Shepard, and Schoen is shutting down the notion the new regime is bailing on Toney so soon. Although the Giants are shopping Slayton, they certainly appear to have some role overlap now that Robinson is on the team. A 2019 fifth-round pick, Slayton has shown flashes as a pro — despite the Giants’ struggles as a whole offensively — and finished with more than 700 receiving yards in each of his first two seasons. As the Giants’ offense cratered last year, Slayton finished with just 339 yards in 13 games.

Toney not being shopped does not mean the Giants are not listening to offers; it appears that has happened since the Toney trade talk started several days ago. Schoen declined to say the team is not listening on Toney.

The intriguing Florida product has struggled to stay on the field and been a bit of a headache off it for the Giants, but they would take on $11MM in dead money by trading him. A team that would acquire Toney would only be on the hook for his rookie-deal base salaries, creating value here considering Toney’s first-round pedigree. For the time being, however, the Giants will carry this interesting receiver quintet into their offseason program.

Latest On Giants, Kadarius Toney

April 27th, 2022 at 10:15pm CST by Sam Robinson

Some brake-pumping appears necessary regarding a Kadarius Toney trade. The Giants’ new regime has discussed the 2021 first-round pick with teams, but SNY’s Ralph Vacchiano tweets the team is merely listening to offers rather than shopping the young wide receiver.

The Giants are open to dealing Toney, who flashed when available as a rookie. But last year’s No. 20 overall pick missed extensive game and practice time and did not impress the team with his work habits. New York’s Joe Schoen–Brian Daboll regime still views the Florida alum as a key piece on offense, with Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com indicating the Giants want “significant” compensation for Toney (Twitter link).

Nothing is imminent here, with Albert Breer of SI.com noting the new Big Blue power brokers do not seem motivated to unload Toney. Instead, they want to see how an offense featuring he and Saquon Barkley looks. This was a rare sight last season, which featured both Barkley and Toney suffering injuries. The duo only played four games together in 2021.

While teams may be calling on the receiver, nothing has “come close to materializing in terms of a trade,” per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo (via NFL.com). While Vacchiano’s report indicates that the Giants are the ones who are receiving the calls, Garafolo says it’s “unclear” if the Giants initiated any trade talks. Ultimately, the reporter says it “doesn’t seem very likely” that Toney is moved any time soon.

Toney attended the start of the Giants’ offseason program Monday, and a report surfaced earlier today indicating the team is shopping Darius Slayton, who is going into a contract year. The former fifth-round pick has displayed a larger body of work, but Toney — should he manage to stay on the field — looks to have more upside. While it is noteworthy the shifty ex-Gator even landed in trade rumors, Daboll likely wants to see how the second-year receiver looks in his offense before a move transpires.

NFC Rumors: Toney, Packers, Hainsey, Ragnow

April 23rd, 2022 at 7:42pm CST by Ely Allen

With the news early this morning that Giants wide receiver Kadarius Toney is on the trading block after only one season in New York, questions have arisen about the value Toney commands. According to Jeff Howe of The Athletic, interest in Toney covers the gamut across the NFL.

Howe reports that some teams have absolutely no interest, while other teams believe that giving him a chance to develop in their system will allow his talent and ability to shine. Toney showed explosive ability in college at Florida, scoring on big plays and showing elite ability after the catch. The Giants looked past several off-field concerns during his time in Gainesville when drafting Toney at 20th overall. Unfortunately for New York, Toney’s off-field issues continued into Year One of his NFL career.

Howe thinks that New York has potentially been trying to move Toney for a while now with little success. He posits that the upcoming 2022 NFL Draft will create some urgency either for receiver-needy teams looking for a young boost to their pass-catching group or for New York to accept a lesser price to get any value out of their failed first-round experiment from 2021.

Here are some other rumors from around the NFC, starting with a new name in Green Bay:

According to the Packers’ website, Green Bay finalized their staff this week with the addition of John Donovan as a senior analyst. After 19 years in college football culminating in offensive coordinator jobs at Vanderbilt and Penn State, Donovan first entered the NFL as an offensive quality control coach for the Jaguars. He left Jacksonville to return to college for the offensive coordinator job at the University of Washington. After two years in that role, Donovan will give the NFL another try, this time in Green Bay.
Former third-round pick Robert Hainsey played offensive tackle at Notre Dame before working through his rookie year in Tampa Bay at center. Greg Auman of The Athletic believes Hainsey could split the difference and compete for a starting job at guard this year. With Ali Marpet retiring and Alex Cappa signing in the offseason with the Bengals, the Buccaneers will need to replace both spots. They addressed one position, signing former-Patriots guard Shaq Mason to slot in at right guard. They also re-signed Aaron Stinnie who has been a reliable backup in Tampa Bay, but has only started one game in his four-year career. Expect Hainsey to get a chance to compete for the starting spot this offseason.
After suffering a season-ending toe injury in a Week 4 loss to the Bears last season, the Lions have reported that Frank Ragnow is feeling strong, healthy, and ready to return to his role as a leader in the middle of the Lions’ offensive line. The Lions will look forward to getting Ragnow back to lead an impressive-sounding group that includes Jonah Jackson, Halapoulivaati Vaitai, Taylor Decker, and Penei Sewell.

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