Because Toney has way more talent. Its really not that close. All the maturity concerns are valid concerns I agree, but the talent is not. If we could trade Van + a 2023 pick for him I don't think Les hesitates for a second. That is assuming we vet him and think he can fit in our culture. Receiver for receiver its not close just look at their tape and skill sets. I don't get the infatuation with Van. Entering year three he'll be 26 yrs old and hasn't done much in the league. Woods missed half a season and Van didn't step up into a real difference maker. OBJ was much more effective with zero QB chemistry, coming into an entirely new offensive system playing limited snaps. Not to mention how Van shit the bed all playoff run.
Over Van Jeff's last 8 games including the playoffs he averaged= 2.25 catches / 28 yds / 0TDs. This is the guy you're so enthusiastic about keeping? They guy who couldn't give average NFL production down the stretch? The guy that had a terrible playoff run and Super Bowl? I don't get all the love Van gets around here its pretty nuts to me. In our offense with Stafford at QB and McVay calling plays he should've started going nuts once Woods went down if he was a legit player. Not to mention the multiple Stafford turnovers on 50/50 balls throw to him that he didn't win.
Has anybody questioned the talent? It's not the talent, it's the character. There is no "infatuation" with Van. It's a simple question of bird in the hand.
Van's last 8 games? Or more accurately, OBJ's emergence in the offense? We're gonna blame VJ for 2.25 catches on 4 targets per game? OBJ was getting 6 targets per game and was very productive with them. That's something expected of a #2, no? Kupp averaged 10 targets a game, as he should have (if not more) and Higbee averaged 6 targets per game (and he missed the better part of 3 in the last 8). VJ wasn't being utilized a lot in those 8 games (and that's his fault?). He was #2 in targets in the SB because of the injury to OBJ and missing Higbee. Those other 8 games, Kupp, OBJ and Higbee were the most often used targets (61.5% combined). RBs got 14.3%. And then VJ (3.6%). So the #3 WR, who was used a lot (6 targets) in one of the previous 6 games, didn't come through the last 2 games of the year (13 targets/6 receptions), when the #2 option (OBJ) was injured in the SB and #3 option (Higbee) missed the last two games? Go figure!!
But you're right, the talent isn't comparable between Toney and VJ. Toney is electric. And yet somehow, if you take out his big game against Dallas (10 for 189)....we all saw the highlights......he averaged 7.8 yards per catch in the rest of his games.....which was 9. Sure, he's got talent but outside of 1 game, hasn't displayed it much....yeah, the QB and offense sucked....AND he comes with baggage (as talent sometimes does). Would he be terrific in L.A.? I don't know.
Snead and McVay will do their due diligence and that could amount to a whole lot of work or minimal. If they think we would be a better team with him, I'm in. We know, if we want him, they will get him. So it comes down to that.