Getty Kansas City Chiefs new wide receiver Kadarius Toney with Florida in 2020.
The Kansas City Chiefs made their first big splash before the NFL trade deadline when they sent two draft picks in exchange for former first-round wide receiver talent, Kadarius Toney.
It’s a bit of a mysterious move from general manager Brett Veach and head coach Andy Reid, being that the Florida product has only appeared in 12 games at the professional level. Toney was obviously highly regarded throughout the scouting process considering his round-one status, but a regime change put him on the outs in New York with the Giants.
Having said that, the Chiefs don’t make this trade without a clear plan for the dynamic playmaker and Fox Sports One analyst Nick Wright explained the real reason KC made this deal.
Nick Wright Details Kadarius Toney’s Hidden Talent
The conversation took place on an episode of “First Things First” on October 27, after the breaking news. Wright was particularly excited about the latest Chiefs acquisition, breaking down the move from his perspective.
“Listen, the Chiefs did need some help,” the TV personality began, “on special teams! I mean the highest-scoring offense in the league with the person that leads the league in yards, touchdowns, rating — so why go get Kadarius Toney?”
“Why did [Kansas City] lose the Colts game?” Wright continued. “And why was the Niners game in doubt for a moment? Because my guy Skyy Moore — who is gonna be good — was being asked to do something he’s rarely done, field punts. So then you say — hey Kadarius Toney, Giants don’t want to use you… can we get you to return punts?”
Of course, Wright already knew the answers to all of the questions he was posing. For the sake of dramatic effect, however, he built up anticipation before revealing why Toney could be an X-factor for the Chiefs in more ways than one.
“I was grinding the tape,” Wright voiced while showing highlights of Toney returning punts for touchdowns at Florida. “Speed, quickness, twitchiness. Now, is he big? No. Is he strong? No. But oh yeah, 90-plus percentile [in] 20-yard split, 40-yard dash, verticle leap.”
Toney is more than just some combine superstar and punt return specialist though, he’s another unique weapon for Patrick Mahomes II on offense. The shifty route runner is a menace after the catch and Wright even teased that one of his draft profiles once labeled him a “poor man’s Tyreek Hill.”
Are we starting to see why Veach and Reid targeted the second-year wideout?
This trade feels like a win-win for both parties involved. The Chiefs basically recovered the 2021 first-round pick that they traded away for Orlando Brown Jr. and the Giants got back decent value for a prospect that they told the rest of the league they didn’t want.
The only clear loser is the rookie, Moore, who could end up being relegated to the gameday inactive list more often than not.
First Domino Falls in Chiefs Kingdom
Toney shores up the offense and special teams departments but many supporters still want to see Veach trade for some help on the defensive side of things. One of the underrated parts of this deal is that it leaves money available for at least one more move.
Drafted in 2021, Toney’s cap hit is a little over $784,000 this season. Next year, it rises to $1.907 million and considering his potential, that’s one heck of a bargain.
After their recent transactions, the Toney maneuver brings the Chiefs’ available cap space back down to $3.859 million according to Over the Cap. That’s enough for some help at edge rusher, D-tackle or cornerback, and Veach could still free up more space by ditching a contract like Mr. healthy scratch, Ronald Jones II.
November 1 is only four days away but it feels like so much can still happen from now until then. Will Kansas City continue to fortify at the trade deadline? Or is Toney the only deal the Chiefs front office is willing to make in 2022?
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