Getty Giants' Kadarius Toney is recovering from offseason surgery for a new injury.
This New York Giants‘ wide receiver is recovering from offseason surgery for a new injury.
Kadarius Toney underwent microscopic knee surgery in the offseason, as Pat Leonard of The New York Daily News reported. However, as Leonard went onto note, Toney is expected to be ready for training camp. He has been wearing a non-contact red jersey on the side of spring OTA practices.
While the Giants don’t seem too concerned by Toney’s procedure, It’s just the latest injury for the wideout, who endured a rookie campaign full of them in 2021.
Things have been far from smooth since the Giants selected Toney in the first-round of the 2021 NFL draft at No. 20 overall. Toney’s first offseason in the NFL was filled with a contract dispute and foot issues, which caused him to miss the Giants’ entire spring program. The 23-year-old then dealt with a bout of COVID-19 and a hamstring issue that derailed his first training camp and preseason. Fast forward to the regular season, where Toney flashed talent, but missed seven games due to ankle and shoulder injuries, as well as a second bout with Covid-19.
From an ability standpoint, the Giants know they have a special player in Toney, who broke Odell Beckham Jr.’s franchise rookie record with 189 receiving yards in a single-game a season ago. However, it remains to be seen whether they can rely on Toney moving forward due to injuries and some off the field antics.
Trade Buzz
Speaking of off the field antics, Toney’s named was involved in trade rumors after he did not show up to the Giants’ voluntary workouts in April.
After the Giants hired Brian Daboll to be their next head coach, it was important for Toney to show up to learn his new playbook. When Toney failed to do so, reports began to leak that the Giants were fielding calls from teams about Toney’s availability. As a result, Toney showed up to Daboll’s offseason program shortly thereafter.
Fortunately, it sounds like Toney is back in the Giants’ good graces following the trade buzz. After the Giant’s second-round selection of slot receiver Wan’Dale Robinson in the 2022 NFL draft, general manager Joe Schoen made it clear that the team was not shopping Toney.
“We’re not shopping Kadarius Toney,” Schoen told reporters before losing his patience at a follow-up inquiry. “Reflect on what I just said.”
I LOVE JOE SCHOEN
Offensive coordinator Mike Kafka also praised Toney recently as well.
“He’s been really attentive in meetings. He’s doing all the right things on and off the field,” offensive coordinator Kafka said of Toney on May 19. “I love his personality. He’s one of those guys that brings a smile to the room. He has a bright personality. He’s been great to work with.”
Wide Receiver Depth
The Giants’ receiving corps has a chance to be a strength of this team in 2022. On paper, Toney, Robinson, Kenny Golladay, Darius Slayton and Sterling Shepard could potentially wreak havoc on opposing secondaries. But there are certainly question marks on this unit.
Golladay is coming off a disappointing campaign, in which he did not score a touchdown. This was Golladay’s first season with the Giants after signing a massive four-year, $72 million deal in free agency. He was only able to amass 37 receptions for 521 yards across 14 games.
Shepard was limited to just seven games and suffered a torn achilles against the Dallas Cowboys on December 19. The 29-year-old took a pay cut to stick with the team that drafted him in 2016. His availability for training camp and the beginning of the regular season are unknown.
As for Slayton, he is owed $2.5 million in 2022, and the cap-strapped Giants could wind up cutting the wideout prior to the season. Slayton is coming off a down season of his own, and has developed some drop issues with 12 of them across the past two years.
Toney, as previously mentioned, is talented but has proven to be unreliable thus far due to injuries and off the field issues. The Giants are hoping that he can remain focused and breakout in his sophomore season.
Robinson is an intriguing rookie speedster out of the University of Kentucky. The Giants used the No. 39 overall pick on him back in April.
Daboll ran a significant amount of 10-personnel (four wide receiver spread offense) during his tenure as offensive coordinator of the Buffalo Bills. He has been given a group of talented receivers, as well as an inconsistent quarterback that has shown promise in Daniel Jones. Time will tell whether Daboll will be able to unlock the potential of his personnel in the passing game.