Before we simply call it a wrap with Kadarius Toney, I want to see what Kansas City does with him in August and early September. I expect Rashee Rice will be suspended for a run of games, and I wonder if Toney will be the receiver whose role increases the most during that time.
Kansas City has made two big receiver acquisitions in the offseason (Hollywood Brown, Xavier Worthy) but neither is a Rice-type receiver. Both weighed less than 170 pounds when they were drafted. They’re big-play weapons. Toney isn’t huge, either. They’ve got him at 193 pounds. But he had two monster games as a rookie with the Giants; I wonder if they might expand his role for those no-Rice games and see what he can do.
Admittedly, this ship may have already sailed. Toney was a healthy scratch at the end of last season. He committed the biggest bonehead play of the season last year, lining up offsides (well offsides) to nullify what would have been the coolest play of the season (with Travis Kelce tossing him a cross-field later for might have been a game-winning touchdown). And he’s long had problems staying healthy. In his year and half in KC, they’ve never put him on the field for half of their plays in a game.
I hated the way KC used him last year, with a bunch of short passes that didn’t go anywhere. He averaged only 6.3 yards on his 27 catches. They also kept using him on end-arounds that defenses were invariably ready for (his 11 carries generated 31 yards). Toney is capable of a lot more.
In looking at past stats, I noticed that the 6.3 yards per catch is the lowest ever by a wide receiver with more than 25 catches. Only one other player (Eddie Royal) has ever averaged under 7.
The whole idea of the quick short pass – almost an extension of the running game – has grown dramatically in recent years. In league history, only 64 wide receivers have caught at least 25 passes and averaged under 9 yards per catch. Thirty of those guys (almost half) have come from the last six years. There were six last year – tying for the most in a single season.
In the previous century (1920 thru 1999) there were only four such receivers.
The chart below shows those 64 receivers. (Guys from the 2018-2023 seasons tagged with dots).
| WIDE RECEIVERS AVERAGING UNDER 9 YARDS PER CATCH | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Player | Rec | Yds | Avg | TD |
| 2023 | Kadarius Toney, K.C. | 27 | 169 | 6.3 | 1 |
| 2015 | Eddie Royal, Chi. | 37 | 238 | 6.4 | 1 |
| 2018 | • Ryan Switzer, Pitt. | 36 | 253 | 7.0 | 1 |
| 2021 | • Ray-Ray McCloud, Pitt. | 39 | 277 | 7.1 | 0 |
| 2018 | • Bruce Ellington, 2TM | 31 | 224 | 7.2 | 1 |
| 2020 | • Isaiah Wright, Was. | 27 | 197 | 7.3 | 0 |
| 2012 | Early Doucet, Ari. | 28 | 207 | 7.4 | 0 |
| 2014 | Danny Amendola, N.E. | 27 | 200 | 7.4 | 1 |
| 2020 | • Lynn Bowden, Mia. | 28 | 211 | 7.5 | 0 |
| 2020 | • Larry Fitzgerald, Ari. | 54 | 409 | 7.6 | 1 |
| 2009 | Danny Amendola, St.L. | 43 | 326 | 7.6 | 1 |
| 2013 | Earl Bennett, Chi. | 32 | 243 | 7.6 | 4 |
| 2019 | • Trey Quinn, Was. | 26 | 198 | 7.6 | 1 |
| 2014 | Tavon Austin, St.L. | 31 | 242 | 7.8 | 0 |
| 2006 | Dante Hall, K.C. | 26 | 204 | 7.9 | 2 |
| 2020 | • Greg Ward, Phil. | 53 | 419 | 7.9 | 6 |
| 2019 | • Zay Jones, 2TM | 27 | 216 | 8.0 | 0 |
| 2021 | • Rondale Moore, Ari. | 54 | 435 | 8.1 | 1 |
| 2005 | Ike Hilliard, T.B. | 35 | 282 | 8.1 | 1 |
| 2018 | • DaeSean Hamilton, Den. | 30 | 243 | 8.1 | 2 |
| 2010 | Danny Amendola, St.L. | 85 | 689 | 8.1 | 3 |
| 2019 | • Albert Wilson, Mia. | 43 | 351 | 8.2 | 1 |
| 2006 | Peerless Price, Buff. | 49 | 402 | 8.2 | 3 |
| 2023 | • Allen Robinson, Pitt. | 34 | 280 | 8.2 | 0 |
| 2021 | • Devin Duvernay, Balt. | 33 | 272 | 8.2 | 2 |
| 2018 | • Trent Taylor, S.F. | 26 | 215 | 8.3 | 1 |
| 2011 | Hines Ward, Pitt. | 46 | 381 | 8.3 | 2 |
| 1990 | Jim Jensen, Mia. | 44 | 365 | 8.3 | 1 |
| 2000 | Macey Brooks, Chi. | 26 | 216 | 8.3 | 0 |
| 2022 | • Russell Gage, T.B. | 51 | 426 | 8.4 | 5 |
| 2003 | David Terrell, Chi. | 43 | 361 | 8.4 | 1 |
| 2019 | • Geronimo Allison, G.B. | 34 | 287 | 8.4 | 2 |
| 2021 | • Cole Beasley, Buff. | 82 | 693 | 8.5 | 1 |
| 2009 | Andre Caldwell, Cin. | 51 | 432 | 8.5 | 3 |
| 1987 | Jim Jensen, Mia. | 26 | 221 | 8.5 | 1 |
| 2021 | • Albert Wilson, Mia. | 25 | 213 | 8.5 | 0 |
| 2020 | • JuJu Smith-Schuster, Pitt. | 97 | 831 | 8.6 | 9 |
| 2011 | Andre Caldwell, Cin. | 37 | 317 | 8.6 | 3 |
| 2015 | Taylor Gabriel, Cle. | 28 | 241 | 8.6 | 0 |
| 2013 | Davone Bess, Cle. | 42 | 362 | 8.6 | 2 |
| 2018 | • Laquon Treadwell, Min. | 35 | 302 | 8.6 | 1 |
| 2010 | Chansi Stuckey, Cle. | 40 | 346 | 8.7 | 0 |
| 2012 | Austin Pettis, St.L. | 30 | 261 | 8.7 | 4 |
| 2016 | Cordarrelle Patterson, Min. | 52 | 453 | 8.7 | 2 |
| 2017 | Cole Beasley, Dall. | 36 | 314 | 8.7 | 4 |
| 2016 | Anquan Boldin, Det. | 67 | 584 | 8.7 | 8 |
| 2023 | • Wan'Dale Robinson, NYG | 60 | 525 | 8.8 | 1 |
| 2019 | • Paul Richardson, Was. | 28 | 245 | 8.8 | 2 |
| 2021 | • Jamison Crowder, NYJ | 51 | 447 | 8.8 | 2 |
| 2016 | Tavon Austin, LAR | 58 | 509 | 8.8 | 3 |
| 2023 | • Rondale Moore, Ari. | 40 | 352 | 8.8 | 1 |
| 2023 | • Braxton Berrios, Mia. | 27 | 238 | 8.8 | 1 |
| 2019 | • Mohamed Sanu, 2TM | 59 | 520 | 8.8 | 2 |
| 2017 | Jarvis Landry, Mia. | 112 | 987 | 8.8 | 9 |
| 1997 | Bobby Engram, Chi. | 45 | 399 | 8.9 | 2 |
| 2012 | Nate Burleson, Det. | 27 | 240 | 8.9 | 2 |
| 2004 | Ike Hilliard, NYG | 49 | 437 | 8.9 | 0 |
| 2006 | Troy Brown, N.E. | 43 | 384 | 8.9 | 4 |
| 1994 | Ricky Sanders, Atl. | 67 | 599 | 8.9 | 1 |
| 2005 | Jabar Gaffney, Hou. | 55 | 492 | 9.0 | 2 |
| 2002 | Ron Dugans, Cin. | 47 | 421 | 9.0 | 0 |
| 2001 | Ron Dugans, Cin. | 28 | 251 | 9.0 | 2 |
| 2023 | • JuJu Smith-Schuster, N.E. | 29 | 260 | 9.0 | 1 |
| 2022 | • Greg Dortch, Ari. | 52 | 467 | 9.0 | 2 |
Circling back to Toney, let’s see what they do with him in the preseason. Unlike most other coaches, Andy Reid will play his front-line guys some. If they’re toying around some with Toney as a Rice replacement, then I’ll have some interest as a late-round rental.
(As things stand today, I would not pick Toney.)
—Ian Allan