Kadarius Toney finally has his playbook.
The Giants’ receiver reported to the team’s facility Monday for the first time for voluntary offseason workouts, a source confirmed, on the heels of a Friday Daily News report that the team was making calls looking to trade him.
The Giants, meanwhile, also have been shopping fourth-year receiver Darius Slayton, according to The Athletic.
This continues Joe Schoen’s and the Giants’ active offseason on their own roster — from inviting and taking calls on Saquon Barkley, to making and taking calls on James Bradberry, to making calls on Toney and Slayton, to talking about possible NFL Draft trades.
The news of Toney’s first offseason visit to the Giants’ facility was first reported by Talkin’ Giants’ Bobby Skinner on Twitter. Skinner said Toney “has been in the New York/New Jersey area since Saturday,” the day after the News’ report.
Toney, 23, last year’s first-round pick, is a talented player who can help the Giants when he’s healthy and on the field. So the Giants want “significant return” in a potential deal, as ESPN reported.
The market hasn’t developed to their liking, though, at least initially. The News knows of one team, for example, that wouldn’t be interested in Toney. There are others in wait-and-see mode.
This is what happens when a team tries to trade a talented second-year player: other teams want to know why.
In Toney’s case, issues from lack of commitment to frequent injuries — the same things driving the Giants’ phone calls — could prevent other teams from offering anything meaningful.
The Athletic actually quoted one Giants source on Monday saying of Toney: “Not a guy you can trust. Likes the NFL lifestyle, but not the NFL work.”
The Giants made calls looking to trade Toney, so their interest in moving on is documented. Now it’s a question of who the Giants find common ground with first: Toney or a trade partner.
This week’s NFL Draft, which kicks off Thursday night, could provide an opportunity for the Giants to move on from both Bradberry and Toney, if not more.
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