It seemed like a slam dunk at first.
Former Giants general manager Dave Gettleman defied all odds and did something smart during an NFL draft. He traded back, grabbed an extra 2022 first-rounder and landed Florida’s Kadarius Toney — a much-needed weapon for Daniel Jones.
Yet, like pretty much everything else Gettleman did during his disastrous tenure, it has become a debacle since. Toney flashed game-changing potential last season when on the field. But those moments have been sporadic amid a constant parade of peripheral nonsense.
Toney’s cleats didn’t fit. He had mystery injuries. He didn’t have much of a role. He got ejected from a game for throwing a punch. Social media — and the local media — have been issues. And now he’s a no-show at the Giants’ voluntary minicamp and has not been participating in the also-voluntary offseason program so far, which means he has yet to get the new playbook.
You’re up, Brian Daboll.
Toney has collective bargaining on his side and the Giants clearly aren’t ready to cut bait. So it’s up to Daboll to figure out how to get through to Yung Joka, then get him to produce. He and general manager Joe Schoen didn’t make the investment in Toney, but now they’re saddled with it.
Toney has the tools to be a Tyreek Hill-type threat; the Giants’ best weapon since Odell Beckham Jr. in his prime. Skipping a voluntary minicamp does not change that. But Toney is not operating in a vacuum. The issues just keep piling up, and that’s a concern. So too is the fact Toney just does not seem to get it. But if the Giants are going to keep him around, Daboll must find a way to make it work.
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