The New York Giants are going to be open for business this offseason with a new regime in place. Joe Schoen took over the general manager role from David Gettleman, coming to the Giants from the Buffalo Bills. Joining him on the trip from Buffalo is Brian Daboll, the Bills’ former offensive coordinator and now Giants head coach. Saquon Barkley could be on the move this offseason and the San Francisco 49ers might be a potential destination.
The two will be tasked with helping turn around a franchise that was run into the ground by Gettleman and seemingly lost its pride and will to play under Joe Judge as head coach the last two seasons. It will be a tall task, but the Giants have some draft capital this year to get the rebuild heading in the right direction.
But, the draft will likely be the only chance for Schoen to add impact players to the roster. New York doesn’t have much cap space to work with in free agency, leaving Schoen in a tough spot. He has set a lofty goal of slashing $40 million from the salary, but that will be easier said than done.
The process has already begun, however, as tight end Kyle Rudolph and running back Devontae Booker were released in cap-saving moves. Some veterans could meet the same fate, such as cornerback James Bradberry, linebacker Blake Martinez and wide receiver Sterling Shepard.
Another player that many people will keep an eye on is running back, Saquon Barkley. Barkley was Gettleman’s first selection as general manager, taking him No. 2 overall in the 2018 NFL Draft. He led the league in yards from scrimmage as a rookie, racking up 2,028, but he hasn’t come close to that production since.
Barkley has been hit hard by injuries the last three seasons, missing 21 games. That puts the Giants in a tough spot because he is in the last year of his rookie deal and the team is in no position to sign him to an extension. Barkley would be looking for a lot more money than the Giants are willing to pay, so an extension wouldn’t work for either side.
As a result, there has been some chatter about a possible trade. Schoen has said he is open to everything, which is a good approach to take. That could include trading Barkley. One team that would make a lot of sense as a landing spot for him is the San Francisco 49ers.
Kyle Shanahan has shown that he can scheme up a productive running game no matter who he has at the running back position. So, that could mean he isn’t going to use assets to acquire a player such as Barkley, but imagine what Shanhana could scheme up for a player as talented as him?
San Francisco leaned on Elijah Mitchell last season when Raheem Mostert got hurt. Mostert is now a free agent, but they also have 2021 third-round pick Trey Sermon in the mix. The backfield is a little crowded, but none of those players have a natural talent that Barkley possesses.
In an outside-zone running scheme, Barkley’s athleticism and speed would be put to good use. He would have to show some more discipline in the backfield, as he does sometimes look for the home run play instead of just taking what the defense gives him. But, it could be a perfect match for Barkley joining a Shanahan-coached backfield, especially as the 49ers bring along a raw quarterback in Trey Lance.
