On Friday evening, Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News revealed that the New York Giants are attempting to trade wide receiver Kadarius Toney.
Toney, a first-round pick of Dave Gettleman just a year ago, has had a rough go of things in East Rutherford early on. His first season was marred by injury, COVID-19, cleat issues, frustration over his role, feuds with the media and fans, inconsistent play, in-game punches and various other issues.
Things have gotten no better so far this offseason with Toney skipping the team’s voluntary workout program (including minicamps) and losing contact with at least a few of his teammates.
Originally thought to be “untouchable,” the views on Toney have obviously changed. General manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll are serious about populating the roster with team-first players who buy in, and Toney really doesn’t seem like that kind of guy.
Leonard’s report was quickly confirmed by the team’s other beat writers, who all stated they’ve heard from sources that Toney has been shopped.
But don’t tell that to Toney. Despite staying away from the team’s East Rutherford facilities and hardly interacting with his teammates, he seems to believe this is all fake news.
In an Instagram story on Friday night, Toney simply stated that not everything you see on the internet should be believed.
Kadarius Toney’s latest post on Instagram… pic.twitter.com/AEUhC2Qx1T
— Zack Rosenblatt (@ZackBlatt) April 23, 2022
Kadarius Toney with another Instagram post… pic.twitter.com/vn9S3iDC1c
— Zack Rosenblatt (@ZackBlatt) April 23, 2022
Toney is correct. You shouldn’t believe everything you read on the internet but as of Saturday morning, these same stories and reports will be in newspapers across the country. The fact is, the Giants have gauged the potential trade interest in Toney and are reportedly weighing their options.
The Giants Wire Podcast discussed Toney’s situation at length recently and came to the ultimate conclusion that the abundance of issues are beginning to tip the scale. Reports of the team shopping the 23-year-old only seem to confirm that conclusion.
But perhaps the shopping of Toney is more about sending a message than actually moving on from the former Florida Gator. The Giants need players who are going to commit and put forth extra effort. To date, Toney has done neither.
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