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The dog days of summer seem to be wearing on New York Giants wide receiver Kadarius Toney.
With the Giants set to open up the preseason against the New England Patriots on Thursday, it remains to be seen whether Toney will play. Over the past few days, the second-year wideout has reportedly been managed in terms of practice reps.
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On Sunday, Dan Duggan of The Athletic reported that Toney did not receive any team reps.
“Run-heavy red zone practice has wrapped up,” Duggan reported on Sunday. “No team reps for WR Kadarius Toney, as his workload continues to be managed.”
Two days later, Toney was “shut down” again.
“Another light day for Kadarius Toney,” Duggan reported on Tuesday. “He was shut down early in practice. Trainers were working on his right knee/leg.”
Although Giants head coach Brian Daboll confirmed that he expects everyone to play in the preseason opener, that only really applies to healthy players. Toney, who has a lengthy injury history, is not guaranteed to take the field against the Patriots.
Duggan called Toney a “question mark” when asked directly about his availability.
“I expect all the healthy starters to play at least a series or two,” Duggan tweeted on Wednesday. “Toney is the question mark after not finishing practice yesterday.”
What may be even more concerning than the injuries is Toney’s inconsistent performance when he is on the field. In a lengthy report on Monday’s training camp session, Duggan described the former first-round pick as “an enigma.”
Here’s the relevant excerpt from Duggan’s report, via The Athletic:
Toney remains an enigma. His talent is undeniable, but he had multiple drops on routine passes during Monday’s practice. He was back participating after sitting out team drills Sunday as the Giants continue to monitor his reps as he returns from offseason knee surgery. Toney’s talent won’t be realized until he develops into a consistent, reliable target.
Injuries and availability were major factors during Toney’s rookie season, as he managed to start just four of the 10 games in which he appeared. As a result, he recorded just 420 yards (and zero touchdowns) on 39 receptions in 2021.
The Kenny Golladay Reports Might Be Even Worse
As concerning as Kadarius Toney’s injuries are, the descriptions of veteran wide receiver Kenny Golladay at Giants training camp might be even more stomach-turning. While many of the team’s offensive struggles are blamed on starting quarterback Daniel Jones, they’re not all his fault.
Here’s what Dan Duggan reported on Golladay this week, via The Athletic:
The receivers deserve their share of the blame, too. Every pass to Kenny Golladay is tightly contested because he’s incapable of creating separation. Cornerbacks show no respect for his deep speed, so they’re squatting on his curl and comeback routes.
That is a pretty damning report for New York’s highest-paid player on offense. The Giants signed Golladay to a four-year, $72 million contract just last offseason, and he’s set to count $21.2 million against the salary cap in 2022 (via Spotrac).
Golladay produced just 521 yards (and zero touchdowns) on 37 catches last season. The Giants simply are not getting their money’s worth from him.
Wan’Dale Robinson is the Only Good News at WR
The only encouraging news at wide receiver for the Giants is the development of second-round rookie Wan’Dale Robinson, who was listed as a starter on the team’s first unofficial depth chart.
Robinson is one of three rookies set to start for the Giants on offense, with right tackle Evan Neal and tight end Daniel Bellinger being the other two. The only rookie set to start on defense is rush linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux, who was selected with the fifth-overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.
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