If you haven’t kept up with the Chicago Bears offseason, fans think they need wide receiver help. It is all most of them talk about. They aren’t wrong. Outside of Darnell Mooney, they lack proven options for Justin Fields. Byron Pringle has a chance to be a significant contributor, but he’s only had one standout year with the loaded Kansas City Chiefs. This offense needs more firepower.
That is probably why it’s been difficult to watch other teams make aggressive moves at the position this offseason. Amari Cooper, Davante Adams, Robert Woods, and Tyreek Hill have all been traded to new teams. Deebo Samuel looks like he might be next given his situation in San Francisco. Yet the Bears haven’t been able to move on either due to an expensive contract, too high of draft compensation, or both.
At last, though, they may finally have the ideal opportunity.
A bomb dropped out east courtesy of Pat Leonard from the New York Daily News. Buzz has picked up that the New York Giants are looking to move former 1st round pick, Kadarius Toney, after just one season on the team. He cites health issues and questions of commitment as the primary driving forces behind the decision. Not to mention the arrival of a brand new GM that had no role in drafting him. A remarkably rapid fall from grace.
“Soon, K.T. will be O.U.T.
The Giants are looking to trade wide receiver Kadarius Toney, sources tell the Daily News, making calls to see what they can get for their 2021 first-round pick.
There was some internal momentum for bailing on Toney during his tumultuous rookie season a year ago. His commitment came into question behind the scenes during his rookie year due to lack of playbook study, poor meeting behavior and frequent injuries.”
A look at what Kadarius Toney can do with the ball in his hands. pic.twitter.com/5jpBsWpcai
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) April 22, 2022
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Kadarius Toney
YOU ARE A KANSAS CITY CHIEF 👀👀👀 #ChiefsKingdom pic.twitter.com/IQ593JgEdB
— Chiefs Network (BACKUP) (@ChiefsNetwork1) April 22, 2022
Look, there aren’t many players let alone humans on this planet that can move like Kadarius Toney.
You don’t give up on this yet, another team who trust their coaches will turn him into a super star.
— Alex Wilson (@AlexWilsonESM) April 22, 2022
There is no question the 2021 season was a frustrating one for Toney.
He missed seven games with various injuries and two bouts with COVID. Even so, he still managed 39 catches for 420 yards despite being stuck in an offense that fired its offensive coordinator midway through the season and his quarterback going down for the year after just 11 games. There may be questions about his durability, but not his talent.
This kind of trade makes perfect sense for the Chicago Bears. Toney is 23-years old with three years left on his rookie contract. So he’d be cheap to retain. The only question is how much it would take to acquire him. The closest example one can find to this situation is A.J. Jenkins. A 30th overall pick in 2012, he had a disappointing year in San Francisco before being traded to Kansas City before his second season. That was a player swap for another former 1st round receiver in Jonathan Baldwin.
Presuming similar circumstances, the Bears stand a reasonable chance of securing Toney for no more than a Day 3 pick. They have two 5th round selections. Offering one to New York for the young receiver is a worthwhile risk.
