Kadarius Toney's potential makes him a chance worth taking for the Browns (and more)

On a recent free agent visit, word leaked that former Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Kadarius Toney had come and gone from time spent with the Seattle Seahawks without a new deal in place. He came as a free agent searching for a place to land and he left with the same definition, even as both sides are at least more familiar with one another.

The Seahawks had their reasons for letting Toney go. Most Chiefs fans would say that every NFL team had clear reasons for never giving him another chance, an argument backed by the fact that two teams have already given up on him already despite the financial commitment involved being so little.

If he's not been worth the effort for those who've already invested, why would any other team think they're the exception? That's a good question.

Despite his history in the league, Kadarius Toney is still the sort of chance GMs have to take.

The definition of insanity is oft-quoted as the repetition of the same act while expecting different results and surely that applies in NFL circles. For years in the league (even decades), it felt like the same head coaches and coordinators were recycled again and again by teams tapping into a good ol' boy network. Even casual fans knew when situations weren't going to work with some new coaching hires.

Even the Chiefs themselves have fallen prey to this over time. At quarterback, the team became so fearful of a draft bust that they set their own ceiling at the position with one aging quarterback after another. While the magic of Joe Montana was in place for two seasons, the truth is that such fear also led to an entrenched mediocrity defining the franchise for an entire generation.

On Monday, Kadarius Toney finally found a new home with the Cleveland Browns, and for some, it likely feels "insane" for the AFC North franchise to take a flyer on the wideout after two failed stints in the NFL. But there's another side of this coin to consider. one that says it's a chance worth taking.

First, Toney is still only 25 years old, with years of his physical prime ahead of him. Second, it's important to note that sometimes a man's emotional and mental maturity isn't as developed as his physical side. How many reading (or writing) this would nod and admit to making dumb mistakes on a regular basis in and through their mid-twenties? Yep.

Those reasons pale in comparison to the real truth about Toney, and even his fiercest detractors cannot deny this: he's gifted athletically in a way that few athletes are. Even in the NFL, he's a rare specimen. Despite being a kid in the Chiefs' offensive doghouse, he was still—on paper—the most dangerous weapon on the team. (Maybe Xavier Worthy moves the needle here instead but the point is the same.)

As the great NFL coach Al Pacino once reminded us, football is a game of inches, where the margin between winning and losing is so miniscule. That means that any advantage a team can earn is a chance worth taking—and that includes Toney.

Think I'm wrong? Brett Veach would agree. It's the reason he traded for Toney in the first place. It's the reason the Chiefs took a chance on Tyreek Hill in the draft and went for Trey Smith when no one else would. It's also why the Chiefs have entertained the same change-of-scenery hopes for wideouts like Corey Coleman or John Ross, corners like Mike Hughes and Damon Arnette, or linemen like Kyle Long or Cam Erving.

Given his skill set and his youth, Kadarius Toney was going to earn at least one more chance in the National Football League—if not a few more—and the Browns are up next. It's not because NFL decision-makers are stupid or insane (although some truly are at times)—at least not in this case. It's because Toney remains a potential x-factor in a game of inches.