kadarius toney

Giants’ Kadarius Toney drops legendary comment regarding status for Week 1

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The New York Giants will need every offensive weapon against the Denver Broncos in Week 1. With a strong secondary and fantastic pass rush, Denver is looking to establish themselves against an offense that ranked 31st in points per game last season. The Giants, who added Kenny Golladay, Kadarius Toney, Kyle Rudolph, and will likely have Saquon Barkley at their disposal, should provide more consistency and production in the scoring department.

However, the injury report following Wednesday’s practice was packed to the brim. The players categorized as limited were Barkley, Golladay, Toney, Adoree Jackson, Rudolph, Danny Shelton, Kaden Smith, and Andrew Thomas. To summarize, the majority of the Giants’ most important players were all limited in some fashion due to individual injuries.

Despite the designations, rookie receiver Kadarius Toney strongly indicated he would be available against Denver. It seems as if head coach Joe Judge is trying to keep things under wraps, putting as many players on the injury report as possible to create confusion for Denver’s coordinators.

Toney, though, essentially made it clear that unless somebody made up a reason for him to miss Week 1, he would be available and ready to play.

When asked if Toney if an injury or issue would keep him from playing against Denver, he said:

“Nah, I mean, unless you wanna go make one up.”

Toney has had a problematic off-season, missing time due to a hamstring injury, and contracted Covid. This isn’t the first time we’ve seen a rookie receiver miss plenty of time, as Odell Beckham Jr. returned from a hamstring issue in Week 4 of his rookie campaign.

Kadarius, who has the capabilities to spark an offense and create electrifying plays, will finally get an opportunity to showcase his abilities. Missing all three preseason games and joint practices, there’s a little film to work off of regarding the 20th overall pick.

With the Florida product on the field, the Giants can get a bit more creative, utilizing jet sweeps, pre-snap motion, and more unique play calls to get him into space with the ball in his hands.

In addition to Toney, fellow receiver Kenny Golladay is also expected to suit up against the Broncos. Golladay, who earned a Pro Bowl nod in 2019, will feature as quarterback Daniel Jones’s WR1. Jones hasn’t had a receiver like Golladay since general manager Dave Gelman traded Odell Beckham Jr. just weeks before the Giants selected Jones in the first round. Golladay hauled in 65 receptions for 1,190 yards and 11 scores two years ago with Detroit but played in just five games last year with a myriad of injuries.

Golladay has been dealing with a hamstring injury this off-season but has been moving crisply and seems to be prepared to play this upcoming weekend. With the majority of the Giants’ top playmakers likely to be available, the scheme should also improve with it. One of the biggest knocks on the offense has been coordinator Jason Garrett’s playcalling, but expect more downfield targets and fewer curl routes, which was his preference in 2020.

New York Giants: Kenny Golladay on recovery, chemistry with offense

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new york giants, kadarius toney

It’s safe to say a fair amount of the hopes for the New York Giants offense rest on Kenny Golladay. Golladay is the team’s highest profile free agent, and the most visible part of the organization’s plan to focus on offensive weapons this offseason. The Giants prioritized bringing Golladay in over improving other areas such as the offensive line, and that decision will be judged in part by how Golladay plays in his debut season with the team.

Golladay and the Giants are unfortunately facing a challenge in that plan, however. Golladay is injured right now, and it’s unclear if he’ll be back in time for week 1. Despite that, the receiver has seemingly kept a hopeful outlook and is positive about his time with the franchise so far.

Golladay speaks on return to practice

Golladay, along with Saquon Barkley, is one of the Giants players who recently made a return to practice. He took questions on Thursday about it, and explained the reasoning behind a slower start.

“I mean, this is literally like the first day and a half I’m back out there, so it’s still fresh. I’ve still got to get my legs up under me and everything,” Golladay told reporters when asked about his explosiveness.

He also spoke about another subject that fans will be curious about: his chemistry with Daniel Jones. While Jones will have more weapons this season, injuries have largely meant that those weapons haven’t had much of a chance to build chemistry yet. According to Golladay, however, this isn’t the biggest deal.

“It’s definitely a little bump in the road, but we still have some days left. I’ve got to get just a lot of catches in,” Golladay said.

Golladay on Kadarius Toney

Ironically enough, injury may help Golladay’s chemistry with fellow receiver Kadarius Toney. Both players are on uncertain return timetables after offseason injuries. And as high profile additions, both of them have strong expectations to get back on the field for the Denver game.

“I’m just trying to keep him on a good track and trying to keep his mind clear. As a rookie, it’s kind of hard coming in with injuries,” Golladay said about the rookie.

“I dealt with it a little bit my rookie year and I know how frustrating it can be. You almost kind of want to rush it and get yourself back out there, so I kind of make sure his head is on straight and tell him everything will be alright, and we have time on our side.”

A quick return to form following injury is the bare minimum expectation for both Golladay and Toney after the Giants prioritized both players over other areas of the team. Based on the way things are panning out so far, that decision has been criticized with many pointing to the state of the offensive line as evidence the Giants should have focused elsewhere.

It’s still too early to say just how either of the new additions will fit into the offense when healthy, but it’s definitely not too soon to rule wide receiver one of the highest pressure positions on the team currently.

New York Giants: Barkley and Rudolph out, others will be game time decision

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New York Giants, Saquon Barkley

The New York Giants are dealing with a number of injuries right now, and it’s unclear which players are in a position to return for the final preseason game. We do know, however, that two anticipated returns won’t happen in this game after Joe Judge ruled out the possibility already.

Those players are Saquon Barkley and tight end Kyle Rudolph, both of whom have mounting pressure to play in week 1. Judge confirmed on Friday that neither player will take the field against New England.

“He will not play in this game, no. We’ll dress him out. He’ll go through warm up. We’ll continue him on through ramping up. He won’t play. Him or Rudolph won’t play in this game,” Judge told reporters when asked about Barkley.

But more encouragingly, Judge also claimed that the Giants are still making decisions on some players.

Some decisions are still being made

“The other players – there’s a lot of guys where there’s still decisions being made. We’ll see how they come out today and even some tomorrow. We’ll see how they’re going to look for the game. So, I can’t give any final answers on a lot of guys,” Judge said.

The list of injuries includes three wide receivers – John Ross, Kadarius Toney, and Kenny Golladay.

With Toney being the team’s first round draft pick and Golladay being their biggest free agent signing, this has caused some reasonable concern that Daniel Jones won’t get a chance to build chemistry with his most important targets in a game situation before week 1.

But as the Giants generally rested their starters for the first couple of preseason games, it’s clear the staff aren’t prioritizing preseason experience for their key players.

We know Jones will play one half in the final game, but as of now, it remains to be seen if his new weapons will be there on the field with him.

New York Giants injury updates: Adoree Jackson, Kenny Golladay, Kadarius Toney

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new york giants, adoree jackson

The New York Giants started practice on Wednesday afternoon on a positive note, announcing the return of tight end Kyle Rudolph from the PUP list. Rudolph has spent the summer rehabilitating from a foot injury that was discovered before he signed with the Giants this off-season on a two-year contract.

However, not all injury news from Wednesday’s joint practice with the New England Patriots was positive. Starting quarterback and new free-agent signing, Adoree Jackson suffered a foot injury, and the severity is currently unknown.

New York Giants injury updates:

Adoree Jackson:

The roller coaster of news following Jackson’s injury is quite laughable.

Ranging from Jackson being carted off the field after slipping in coverage to he might be able to practice tomorrow is quite polarizing. Ian Rapoport went as far as to say the swelling was “significant,” but the Giants are still running tests to diagnose exactly what the cornerback is facing in the short term.

Best case scenario, Jackson walks away dodging a bullet, as the Giants recently traded Isaac Yiadom to the Green Bay Packers in hopes the secondary would remain healthy. They lost Quincy Wilson during the last preseason game and are still unsure about rookie Rodarius Williams. Third-round pick Aaron Robinson continues to spend time on the PUP list with a core muscle injury.

Overall, the Giants are holding their breath that the injury doesn’t reveal anything significant. Swelling could indicate something serious, but it is also a natural reaction from the body and normally subsides with a bit of ice and Advil. Until the swelling goes down, the team won’t truly know how long he will be out.

Kenny Golladay:

The Giants’ top wideout has spent the last few weeks dealing with a hamstring injury, an issue he’s faced before. Golladay has only played five games since his Pro Bowl appearance in 2019, but he is expected to make a full recovery and to be available for the team’s Week 1 matchup against the Denver Broncos.

Golladay spent time on the side with trainers, catching passes from a standstill. He has worked with Daniel Jones, playing a game of simple catch, but that isn’t enough to beat corners on timing routes and fully understand the playbook come the start of the regular season. Hopefully, next week will offer Golladay an opportunity to get the gears turning once again.

Kadarius Toney:

Giants’ rookie receiver Kadarius Toney has experienced somewhat of an up-and-down off-season.

After equipment issues first plagued his minicamp, Toney, unfortunately, contracted COVID-19, which has kept him on edge ever since. Toney was also working alongside trainers with Golladay during Wednesday’s practice. There’s no guarantee he will be available against Denver, but at the very least, he could get a few reps throughout the game on designed plays to get his feet wet. Missing the entire preseason isn’t ideal, but the Giants are still confident he will make an impact on the 2021 campaign.

New York Giants already declare key offensive players OUT for second preseason game

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new york giants, kadarius toney

The New York Giants are currently enjoying a week of joint practices with the Cleveland Browns. The Giants and Browns will face off in a preseason Week Two matchup on Sunday night.

In their first preseason game, key members of the team were held out in an effort to keep them healthy for the start of the regular season. Players like Daniel Jones and Leonard Williams did not see the field on game day. Many of these key players will return to the field to start ramping up to game speed. But the Giants have already declared a number of key offensive players out for their second preseason game.

Kenny Golladay (hamstring), Kyle Rudolph (foot), Saquon Barkley (knee), and Kadarius Toney (unknown) will all be absent from the Giants’ lineup on Sunday.

When will these players return?

Daniel Jones and most of the starters on offense will take the field on Sunday. In the third preseason game versus the Patriots next weekend, Joe Judge wants the starters to play most of the first half. But will these injured players be back in time to create some chemistry in the preseason? Or will Golladay, Rudolph, Barkley, and Toney have to wait until the regular season to see some action?

Kyle Rudolph

At this point, it appears Kyle Rudolph will not be seeing the field until the regular season. In fact, it looks like it could be a long time before he suits up for the Giants. Rudolph does not seem close to returning and if he is not activated off of the PUP list by the start of the regular season, he will miss at least the first six weeks of the year.

Kenny Golladay

Kenny Golladay is a player the Giants need healthy for the regular season. He suffered a hamstring tweak a few weeks ago and avoided the worst-case scenario, but he has not been a full participant in practice since the injury occurred. At this point, Golladay could be healthy enough to play next week, but it might be wise for the Giants to let him rest up and focus on the regular season.

Saquon Barkley

Like Golladay, Saquon Barkley is an essential piece of the Giants’ offense. New York needs their superstar running back to get healthy. It is hard to imagine that the Giants would risk an injury to Barkley by playing him in the preseason considering the severity of the injury he is recovering from.

Kadarius Toney

Kadarius Toney is a major question mark to this point. The rookie wide receiver has barely practiced with the team this summer and is now dealing with a mystery injury. The Giants say he is dealing with an injury but have not specified what the injury might be. At this point, no one knows when Toney will be recovered. All Giants fans can do is wait and hope to see Kadarius Toney on the field for the start of the regular season.

New York Giants: HC Joe Judge isn’t worried about Kadarius Toney’s shaky career start

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new york giants, kadarius toney

The New York Giants officially kick off the 2021 season today with the start of training camp. Absent from this week’s practices, though, will be the team’s first-round draft pick from this year’s draft, Kadarius Toney. The Giants placed Toney on the reserve/COVID-19 list after the rookie receiver tested positive for the virus upon his arrival to camp last Thursday.

Fans had strong reactions to the news of Toney’s positive COVID test. Kadarius Toney has barely gotten his feet wet in the NFL and has already missed numerous practices for personal reasons and now for a positive COVID test. In his first career practice, Kadarius practiced with one cleat due to an equipment mishap. He then skipped voluntary practices before being exempt from a mandatory practice due to a private personal matter.

That being said, Kadarius Toney has barely practiced with the Giants and some fans are concerned. There are even some fans going so far as to say that Toney is a “bust” or a “bad draft pick” despite the fact that he has yet to play a down of football in the NFL. Other fans are not as worried, and neither is New York Giants head coach Joe Judge.

Joe Judge on Kadarius Toney’s shaky career start

Kadarius Toney is currently isolating and participating in meetings remotely after his positive COVID-19 test. Many questions have arisen regarding Kadarius Toney. One of the most interesting: Is he more interested in his rap career than the sport of football?

Head coach Joe Judge has an answer to that question. According to Joe Judge, Kadarius Toney “loves football.” Judge is not worried by the shaky start to Toney’s NFL career. When talking about his rookie wide receiver, Judge said Toney “goes hard when he’s practicing. He plays hard.”

“There’s a lot of guys who are talented and they have some other things outside the building that distract them when they get in the building. We haven’t seen that with him.” – Joe Judge on Kadarius Toney’s focus on football (via NY Daily News)

As for the many criticisms of Kadarius Toney, Joe Judge does not feel like the concerns are completely warranted. Judge went as far as to say that the concerns with Toney’s start to his career are being “overinflated.”

“He practices hard. So that to me is really the measuring stick of what it is. And I think there are a lot of things early in this guy’s career that are, to be honest with you, being overinflated. It hasn’t detracted from the actual football when he’s involved with us.” – Joe Judge on the start of Kadarius Toney’s career via PFT

Kadarius Toney is back in the building

After testing positive for COVID-19 last week, Kadarius Toney is now officially back in the building. Many fans and writers alike were concerned with Toney and the shaky start that he has had to his career, despite head coach Joe Judge’s trust in his rookie receiver. Now, according to Joe Judge, Kadarius Toney is back in the Giants’ facility today for the start of training camp.

Joe Judge also made it clear that the Giants will waste no time getting Kadarius Toney back in action. The Giants will not be easing him into training camp because “the most dangerous thing you can do for a player is skimp on how you practice,” says Joe Judge.

“Whether that’s conditioning to get their bodies in the right position and build up the callous in their muscles… or practicing things like live hitting and live tackling. Anything they have to do in a game we want to make sure we practice, correct, repeat and practice again.” – Joe Judge on training camp conditioning

New York Giants fans will not have to wait long to see their electric first-round draft pick on the field. Kadarius Toney will be out there for the start of training camp. Joe Judge and the New York Giants will get Kadarius Toney on the field as soon as possible. Giants training camp kicks off today as fans eagerly anticipate the start of the 2021 NFL season.

Giants’ Kadarius Toney placed on Reserve/COVID-19 list ahead of training camp

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new york giants, kadarius toney

With training camp starting next Tuesday and rookies filtering in, the New York Giants anticipated the entire team to return in full health and ready to work as the 2021 regular season approaches in a little over a month.

However, one rookie will have to wait a few weeks before taking the field with the remainder of the team.

According to the Giants, rookie Kadarius Toney was placed on the Reserve/Covid019 list on Thursday ahead of training camp:

Wide receiver Kadarius Toney, the Giants’ first selection in the 2021 NFL draft, has been placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list.

The Giants’ rookies reported yesterday for training camp. Toney is following the NFL protocols by isolating and participating in meetings remotely.

Ever since Toney joined the Giants, he has faced issues that have impacted his ability to stay on the field, ranging from equipment mishaps and minor injuries. While these issues are undoubtedly a source of concern, Covid remains a serious liability, and unless a player is vaccinated, they will have to endure the potential consequences. Even so, the vaccine doesn’t guarantee you won’t contract the virus but rather mitigate serious symptoms. Toney will have to present two negative tests before he can rejoin the team.

The Florida product is coming off a solid 2020 campaign, totaling 984 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns through the air, including a rushing touchdown. The Giants view him as a unique player who can contribute in multiple phases of the game, and they expect him to be a focal point on offense.

New York Giants: Kadarius Toney’s elite YAC-ability could be game-changing

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new york giants, kadarius toney

The New York Giants invested copious resources into the offensive side of the ball this offseason. After their offense ranked second-to-last in the league last year, the Giants made it a point of emphasis to upgrade their weaponry. The Giants’ offense averaged 17.5 points per game in 2020, an unacceptable number in the modern NFL.

To fix their offensive attack, the Giants made some big acquisitions this offseason. They made some splash signings with wide receiver Kenny Golladay and tight end Kyle Rudolph. The Giants then doubled down in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft and selected another wide receiver: Kadarius Toney.

Kadarius Toney is a dynamic talent that fixes a key deficiency from the Giants’ 2020 offense. In 2020, the Giants’ receiver failed to gain yards after the catch. Toney was the most explosive playmaker after-the-catch in this year’s draft class. He has the ability to be a game-changing playmaker for New York this season.

Kadarius Toney: YAC Monster

The New York Giants’ offensive weapons rarely created yardage after-the-catch in 2020. According to Ben Linsey of Pro Football Focus, the New York Giants ranked dead last in the league with the fewest yards after the catch per reception in 2020 at 3.0 yards per. Not only did the Giants’ receivers struggle to separate from coverage last season, but they also struggled to make plays with the ball in their hands.

That is where Kadarius Toney comes into play. On 177 touches in his collegiate career at UF, Kadarius Toney forced an insane 64 missed tackles (PFF). Toney was the best tackle-breaking wide receiver in this year’s NFL draft. When he gets the ball in his hands, Toney destroys ankles and gains yards after the catch with ease.

Kadarius Toney forced a missed tackle on 35% of touches since 2018, which was first among the 2021 wide receiver draft class (PFF). Toney forced 32 missed tackles on 80 catches the past two seasons (PFF).

Creating yards after the catch was a huge struggle for the Giants last season. But now, with Kadarius Toney entering the lineup, and Saquon Barkley returning to the lineup, it seems like the Giants have fixed this problem.

New York Giants: New additions Kenny Golladay and Kadarius Toney will be an elite deep-threat duo

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new york giants, kenny golladay

The New York Giants had one of the worst offenses in the NFL last season. They averaged a putrid 17.5 points per game, ranking second-to-last in the NFL. Part of the Giants’ major struggles offensively was their failure to get the deep-passing game together.

Daniel Jones attempted only 43 passes 20+ yards downfield in 2020. Jones is a conservative quarterback, but this low attempt total is unacceptable in the modern NFL. The Giants also did not have a ton of vertical receiving talent, nor an offensive coordinator that emphasized deep passing. But in 2021, all of that should change.

The New York Giants made plenty of big moves this offseason to improve their offense. Some of the Giants’ acquisitions seem to indicate that New York will emphasize the deep-passing game this upcoming season. In particular, new additions Kenny Golladay and Kadarius Toney will be a huge boost to the team’s vertical offense, creating an elite deep-threat duo.

Golladay and Toney going deep

Kenny Golladay is one of the best deep-threats in the NFL. Pro Football Focus ranked the Giants’ new alpha dog as the third-best deep-threat in the league. Golladay was a huge addition to the Giants’ offense as a receiver that will open up their vertical attack on offense.

Per PFF, Golladay ranks fourth among NFL wide receivers in deep receiving yards over the past three years, and he was just nine yards behind third-place despite playing in only 5 games in 2020. Kenny Golladay’s 628 yards on deep passes ranked second in the league in 2019 (PFF). KennyG’s production on deep receiving is incredible, but the Giants’ first-round pick Kadarius Toney isn’t too shabby going deep either.

According to Pro Football Focus, 10.7 percent of the Kadarius Toney’s targets in college were on passes 20+ yards downfield. Toney earned an insane 99.6 grade with a perfect 158.3 passer rating when targeted on those deep passes.

Kadarius Toney is one of the most dynamic rookies entering the NFL this year. Not only is he a great deep receiving threat, but he is also a YAC monster that will open up the intermediate passing game, along with the return of superstar running back Saquon Barkley. Kadarius Toney forced a missed tackle on 35% of touches since 2018, which was first among the 2021 wide receiver draft class (PFF). Toney forced 32 missed tackles on 80 catches the past two seasons (PFF).

Daniel Jones was PFF’s third-highest graded passer on deep balls in 2020 with a 95.6 passing grade. Jones did not throw deep that often, but when he did he made it count. Now, with this influx of talent in Kadarius Toney and Kenny Golladay, Daniel Jones should start slinging it deep more often and the Giants’ offense should enjoy an elite deep-threat duo in 2021.

How the New York Giants can maximize Kadarius Toney in 2021

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new york giants, kadarius toney

When the New York Giants traded back in the 2021 NFL draft and landed Kadarius Toney at 20th overall, most were perplexed at the simple fact that general manager Dave Gettleman managed to execute an improbable deal. The Giants added another first-round pick for the 2022 draft, courtesy of the Chicago Bears, but they also managed to grab an offensive weapon in Toney, who offers a unique blend of agility and play-making ability to an offense that ranked last in yards after the catch last year.

However, Toney has received unwarranted negative attention as of late due to a string of unfortunate events, thanks to an equipment mishap with his cleats, leaving practice early due to a family emergency, and his rapping hobby.

Let’s just be happy that Toney is focusing on music rather than putting himself in undesirable situations; queue the DeAndre Baker debacle.

Some analysts, like Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox, believe that Toney could disappoint in 2021, but he leaves out context in his evaluation.

Those expecting New York Giants first-round pick Kadarius Toney to be an instant difference-maker in the level of D.K. Metcalf or Justin Jefferson could be disappointed. The Florida product has undeniable speed, but he’s extremely raw as a route-runner.

“His routes can look like one-on-one isolation basketball moves at times, but he has the ability to make instant cuts and break his routes off sharply. He could become a much more creative and consistent route runner in due time,” NFL Media’s Lance Zierlein wrote.

Toney may primarily be a gadget player early in his career, and while there’s value in that, many New York fans may be disappointed that he isn’t an instant 1,000-yard pass-catcher.

What should the New York Giants expect from Toney in 2021?

Very few expect Toney to be a 1000+ yard contributor in his rookie campaign, but rather a change of pace player who operates specifically out of the slot and can be deployed as a gadget player. His versatility on offense should allow coordinator Jason Garrett and his coaching staff to devise more creative game plans and keep defenses on their toes. With a player that forced a 35% missed tackle rate in 2020, the Giants can maximize his shiftiness in the open field and get the ball in his hands with space to work with.

Considering who the Giants added this off-season, they will likely push the field vertically with Kenny Golladay and Darius Slayton on the outside, which will allow Sterling Shepard and Toney to operate with more space in the interior. Taking more defenders out of the box will help the slot receivers and running game but will also take significant pressure off the offensive line. Defenses played cover-1 and cover-0 at an astronomical rate last year, indicating they were sending 5+ blitzers and playing man-coverage across the board. The NFL is a mismatch league, and when you’re sending more 5+ blitzers at five blockers, you’re likely going to have issues.

Last season, Toney caught 70 passes for 984 yards and recorded 11 total touchdowns, showcasing his ability to put points on the board. He’s what Dave Gettleman would call a “touchdown maker” and even referred to him as a “receiver who runs like a running back.”

When you have a player like Toney with such a strong center of gravity and high effort, you can put him in positions to succeed. Ultimately, giving him space to work with and drawing attention to the boundaries will help maximize his potential. With so many weapons to spread the ball to, Toney’s lack of production won’t be a result of his own doing, but rather the scheme trying to feed the ball to Golladay, Saquon Barkley, etc.

It is also positive to see that Kadarius has only dropped two passes in four years, indicating strong hands to go with basketball-like isolation moves. He should be a devastating weapon for the Giants, who focuses on exploiting matchups in the secondary.