This Player Was Named the New York Giants' "Big Regret" of Offseason

Giants first-round draft pick Kadarius Toney hasn't played a meaningful snap yet, but according to some, he's earned the "bust" label.

Author:
Patricia Traina
Publish date:
Jun 18, 2021 8:00 AM EDT

Apparently, it doesn't take much these days for some to label a player that has yet to take a snap in the NFL a bust.

Such is the case with New York Giants rookie receiver Kadarius Toney, whose start to his pro career has some wondering if the Giants have begun experiencing regret.

Toney, you might recall, made headlines during the Giants' rookie minicamp, not because of his play on the field but because he was the unfortunate recipient of some ill-fitting cleats that forced him at one point to work barefoot at one point to avoid blistering.

Then there were reports that the rookie wasn't a participant at the team's OTAs, with very few of those reports failing to mention the likelihood of Toney not having finalized his contract as a potential reason.

Rookies without contracts sign a participation agreement that allows them to take part in the minicamps and OTAs and protects them by assuring the same contract if they suffer an injury. But perhaps Toney's agents, if they indeed recommended he wait before participating, were concerned that the percentage of his guaranteed money might be compromised if something were to happen.

Then there was Toney's absence--excused by head coach Joe Judge--from the final day of the Giants three-day mandatory minicamp due to a family emergency.

Because of those events--two of which aren't even Toney's fault--Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox, in his article naming every NFL team's biggest off-season regret, has Toney as the Giants' choice even though the rookie has yet to play in a meaningful NFL snap.

Taking a first-round flier on Florida wideout Kadarius Toney may have been a regrettable gamble, however. It’s not that Toney cannot become a quality receiver; the problem is that he’s unpolished and may not be a big contributor this season.

I'm not quite sure how many rookies coming out of college are polished, but that doesn't mean that they can't become better if they're willing to work hard and take to coaching.

Toney could very well go on to disappoint as a rookie, or he could end up making everyone forget about his making headlines for seemingly the wrong reasons at the start of his career.

But to write the kid off without him taking a single meaningful snap is just another reminder that training camp and some actual news can't get here fast enough.