T
he New York Giants held their first practice session of voluntary minicamp on Wednesday, and wide receiver Kadarius Toney was not in attendance.
Fellow Giants wide receiver Kenny Golladay, on the other hand, was in attendance and offered a strong opinion when asked about the topic of voluntary workouts.
Giants WR Kenny Golladay on attending voluntary mini-camp: “That’s how much it means to me, especially coming off of last season. Everyone should definitely be here.”
He and Sterling Shepard plan on reaching out to Kadarius Toney, who is not here. 👇
“Everyone should definitely be here,” Golladay said, via Ralph Vacchiano on Twitter. “As of right now, there’s a lot of energy going around. I think people are actually excited. Also, I think people are ready to get back in the building, because after coming off of last year, it just leaves a bad taste in your mouth that you want to get it out.”
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A reporter then followed up with a more specific question about Toney’s absence.
“I haven’t talked to him in a while,” Golladay said. “I’m pretty sure he had something going on. Everything will work out.”
Golladay then went on to say that he’s “pretty sure” Toney is studying the playbook. The only problem is that new Giants head coach Brian Daboll confirmed on Wednesday that Toney hasn’t even received the team’s playbook yet, according to Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News.
If Toney is studying a playbook, Giants fans better hope it’s not Jason Garrett’s. With the exception of one monster game in a blowout loss to the Dallas Cowboys, Toney struggled to make an impact as a rookie last season. He only appeared in 10 games and finished with 420 receiving yards on 39 receptions. He did not score a single touchdown.
The Giants traded back with the Chicago Bears during last year’s NFL Draft and ended up selecting Toney with the 20th-overall pick. In college at Florida, he was a dynamic playmaker and a second-team All-American in 2020 (as voted by the Associated Press). Although Toney was selected by former Giants general manager Dave Gettleman, he has the potential to be a major building block for the new regime.
It remains to be seen whether he’ll live up to that potential.
Super Bowl Champ Slams Toney For Staying Home
The opinions on Toney’s absence from Giants practice are varied. Some think it’s not a big deal since attendance is not mandatory. Others, like Golladay, think it’s important for “everyone” to show up.
Since retiring from the NFL, former Giants kicker and two-time Super Bowl champion Lawrence Tynes has not been shy about sharing his opinions on social media. And in his view, Toney is a player who should be at every practice.
I don’t like the fact that Kadarius Toney is a “no show” for the off season program and mini camp.
Coaches and players will say all the right things “it’s voluntary” but they really don’t like it. A second year 1st rd pick who did not play a lot has to be there. Has to be!!!
“I don’t like the fact that Kadarius Toney is a ‘no show’ for the off season program and mini camp,” Tynes wrote on Twitter. “Coaches and players will say all the right things ‘it’s voluntary’ but they really don’t like it. A second year 1st rd pick who did not play a lot has to be there. Has to be!!!”
Tynes never caught a pass in the NFL, but he knows what it takes for a team to win a championship. Toney may want to consider his warning.
Does Toney Still Have a ‘Clean Slate?’
This is not the first time Toney has made headlines for something completely unrelated to his performance on the field. He had issues with his cleats at rookie minicamp, then he skipped voluntary OTAs. He stirred things up with his posts on social media and was even ejected from a game against the Cowboys for throwing a punch.
Earlier this month, Daboll said the Giants were giving Toney a “clean slate” in 2022.
“It’s a clean slate”
Brian Daboll on how Kadarius Toney and other Giants can work under him:
“It’s a clean slate,” Daboll said (via SNYGiants on Twitter). “Each person is going to be responsible for making sure that they’re on top of the information.”
One has to wonder whether that slate is still clean.
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Kenny Golladay Speaks Out on Kadarius Toney’s Absence at Giants Practice