Veach: Chiefs 'Really Like' Toney, Moore but Need One Key in 2024
Addressing the media before the draft, Veach spoke about two of his young wideouts who are coming off rough 2023 seasons.
The Kansas City Chiefs' wide receiver room was one of the weakest points on the roster last season. Despite the team winning Super Bowl LVIII anyway, it became abundantly clear that improvement was necessary entering the offseason.
Adding Marquise "Hollywood" Brown is a good start, and the 2024 NFL Draft could be another avenue for progress. If more talent is brought in, could that spell trouble for anyone further down the depth chart?
General manager Brett Veach didn't seem to think so on Friday, specifically pertaining to two players. When asked by local media about Kadarius Toney and Skyy Moore, Veach praised them. Starting with Toney, he said the former first-round pick simply needs to stay healthy.
"Yeah, I mean, obviously hoping both continue to improve, progress and are able to be consistent playmakers for us," Veach said. "I know Kadarius has obviously had a long history of injury issues, but he is probably our most talented wideout. Now, again, it doesn't do anyone any good unless you stay healthy, but the kid has always worked hard here for us. I know he's been down there (in Texas) with Pat (Mahomes), and I think it's just a matter of him staying healthy.
"I think if he can do that, he can really do a lot of great things in this offense. There's a lot of speculation about KT, but I don't think we ever stopped believing in him. People around the building like him. It's the injury bug — hopefully he gets some luck on his side and he can stay healthy and be the player he was in Florida and the player we've seen in spurts here. Just hoping he has a good offseason and has a little luck on his side and can stay healthy."
Being durable has definitely been an issue for Toney since entering the league back in 2021. In three regular seasons, he's managed to play in just 32 of 51 possible games and was visibly hampered in several of the contests he was active for. Thigh, ankle, quad, oblique, shoulder and knee injuries have all limited Toney's availability during offseason programs, preseasons or regular seasons. Earlier this calendar year, he was inactive for Kansas City's entire playoff run.
With each passing year, it gets more and more difficult to reason with any mention of Toney's talent. When on the field in 2023-24, he had numerous costly drops and posted one of the lowest average depth of targets in the entire league. The former Florida standout has been reduced from a special teams threat and dynamic offensive weapon to more of a figment of any club's imagination. The selling points of the past haven't applied nearly as much recently.
At this point in the offseason, though, the organization backs Toney. The same can be said for Moore, whom Veach briefly mentioned and tied things back to the same health component.
"With Skyy, Skyy's always been a mentally tough kid," Veach said. "He had that knee injury last year, too, so to some degree, just these guys being on the field, staying healthy and then making plays when their number's called. The great thing about both of these guys is they're two guys we really like as people and they're smart guys and they work hard. Now, it's just a matter of them putting themselves in a position to earn consistent playing time and then make plays when their number's called."
Moore, like Toney, struggled in 2023. Playing in 14 games and getting an increase in snaps, the former second-rounder saw slight decreases in receptions and yards. He and Mahomes weren't on the same page often, leading to inefficiencies on offense. Moore's youth and contract affordability make him a candidate to stick around, although he's in the same general boat as Toney.
Once — and if — a new wideout or two is added, that's when things could get dicey. Brown, Rashee Rice and Justin Watson can be considered locks for the opening day 2024 roster. Behind them, there's some uncertainty and a rookie could further complicate things for Toney and Moore. Nevertheless, the Chiefs aren't putting the cart before the horse here. This is who they have, and it's who they'll support until anything changes.
