With the initial wave of cuts having taken place around the NFL, the free agent pool has been replenished with veteran talent like former Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Kadarius Toney.
On August 29, USA Today Sports writer Cory Woodroof identified 15 potential free agent “matches” around the league, and he pushed the AFC West rival Las Vegas Raiders to give Toney a look.
“The Raiders should keep Toney in the division and give him a chance to prove Kansas City wrong,” Woodroof argued. “He remains an effective returner on special teams and could factor into the Las Vegas offense as a unique gadget player.”
“Toney might not be a monster in the passing game, but there is a role for him somewhere in the NFL,” he went on. “The Raiders feel like an ideal landing spot, as the team needs some added depth at the wide receiver position and another option in the return game.”
Behind superstar Davante Adams, the Raiders WR corps includes veteran Jakobi Meyers as well as younger prospects like Tre Tucker, Ramel Keyton and Tyreik McAllister. Toney would provide more experience as a potential top three or four option for Las Vegas — assuming he’s finally able to harness his potential.
Will Chiefs Come to Regret Releasing Kadarius Toney?
By the time the Chiefs cut Toney at the 53-man deadline, it felt like KC fans were mostly ready to move on.
Toney was constantly injured with Kansas City — similar to his stint with the New York Giants — and general manager Brett Veach even hinted publicly that the team felt the wideout could do more to keep his body in shape over the offseason.
“Some of the things I think we talked about were sometimes, you can make some bad [injury] luck turn into good luck by just doing some little things in the offseason to take care of your body,” Veach told reporters, regarding Toney. “And I think that’s a process he’s working through and, again, it’s certainly not for a lack of talent.”
“I don’t think that certainly, we’ve seen the end of him,” the Chiefs GM continued later. “I think he’ll have a chance and if he’s able to tighten up some of the offseason stuff and get his body right, I think he’ll go out and make a ton of plays for another team.”
Toney also struggled with drops and mental mistakes during his time in Kansas City.
So, having said that, will the Chiefs come to regret moving on from the former first-round talent so that they could keep a player like Skyy Moore or Mecole Hardman? Probably not, unless of course, Toney turns into a star wide receiver for an AFC rival like the Raiders, Cincinnati Bengals or Buffalo Bills.
Chiefs Still Deemed as ‘Match’ for Veteran LT David Bakhtiari
There was another Chiefs mention in Woodroof’s article with USA Today Sports. And it wasn’t the first time this veteran free agent has been connected to Kansas City.
“The Chiefs should be the Super Bowl favorites until another team proves otherwise, but the team’s situation at left tackle remains a bit perilous,” the NFL writer said. “Second-round rookie Kingsley Suamataia may well be the heir apparent at the position, but having him start 17 games and the playoffs to push for a three-peat feels like an avoidable risk.”
Instead, he suggested bolstering the position with former Green Bay Packers left tackle David Bakhtiari — who is still available and has yet to call it a career.
“Bakhtiari is the proven veteran the Chiefs should take a look at,” Woodroof urged, “even if he’s still not willing to play on turf surfaces. Suamataia could still get some starting reps this year with Bakhtiari taking the home games and away grass games, and we’re sure the former Packers starter would play on whatever surface was necessary for a Super Bowl push.”
