A year later, Colts have another chance at Kadarius Toney
The Indianapolis Colts can trade for receiver Kadarius Toney after it was reported the New York Giants are looking to move him.
Last year around this time, heading into the 2021 NFL Draft, some were hoping and predicting that Kadarius Toney would be selected by the Indianapolis Colts.
Instead, the former University of Florida receiver was selected one spot before Indianapolis by the New York Giants and the Colts drafted Kwity Paye, who seemed to be their guy all along.
However, nearly one year removed from that night, Indy may have another chance to get Kadarius Toney. On Friday, Giants beat writer, Pat Leonard, reported that the team was looking to trade the young receiver.
🚨BREAKING: Giants are looking to trade WR Kadarius Toney, making calls on what they can get for their 2021 1st round pick https://t.co/dr3EjB0iDe https://t.co/S8yiQQZYCR
— Pat Leonard (@PLeonardNYDN) April 22, 2022
Why are Giants moving on from Kadarius Toney?
It’s rare that a team is ready to move on from their first-round pick after one season, so that’s a sign that New York and Toney had some issues.
Since last offseason, there have been numerous reports about Toney missing time with the team or behaving poorly, reports that former Giants’ head coach, Joe Judge, said were blown out of proportion.
Toney also battled some injuries in year one and had a couple of stints on the COVID-19 list, which is why he only played in 10 games during his rookie season.
However, in those games, Toney did show the talent that made him a first-round pick. He caught a total of 39 passes for 420 yards. His best game came against the Dallas Cowboys when he had 10 receptions for 189 yards.
A look at what Kadarius Toney can do with the ball in his hands. pic.twitter.com/5jpBsWpcai
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) April 22, 2022
However, Toney was also thrown out of that game for punching a Cowboys defender. That encapsulates the dilemma that interested teams are facing. Toney is talented but has some character concerns, so what are teams willing to risk?
Should Colts trade for Kadarius Toney?
What are the Colts willing to risk? The reason many wanted him to end up with Indy last year is that Indianapolis needed help at receiver. That’s still the case.
The Colts definitely could use a talent like Toney at receiver but there’s probably a very slim chance it happens. Indianapolis is in a pretty good position to draft a talented receiver and Chris Ballard has routinely talked about wanting character guys.
Kadarius Toney is young and could clear up any concerns about his character and ultimately have a long productive career. However, it’s unlikely that the Colts will take that gamble.
