The trade deadline in the NFL isn’t until November 1st, but there is already some speculation about who would be on the move before then. A team such as the Buffalo Bills will assuredly be buyers ahead of the deadline looking to plug any holes that may pop up on the roster.
Coming into the season the Bills were the odds on favorites to win the Super Bowl and nothing has really occurred to change that. While they did lose to the Miami Dolphins in Week 3, they still look like one of the best teams in the NFL.
What position could they look to shore up? There was some speculation during the offseason that they would look to upgrade the running back position. They added James Cook in the 2022 NFL Draft and still have Devin Singletary and Zack Moss on the roster.
While Singletary has played well in spurts, including this past weekend against the Dolphins, would Buffalo turn down the chance of adding an impact player to their offense at the position? Boomer Esiason certainly doesn’t believe so, as he hypothesized that the Bills would look into acquiring New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley.
“If Saquon Barkley continues to do what he’s doing, if he isn’t traded by the trade deadline. And that’s a serious thing that I think the Buffalo Bills would love to look at … Saquon is probably as good now as he will ever be in the NFL … why would the Giants keep him? Especially if they can get a reasonably good Draft pick … the Bills would love to have a top-end running back and give the Giants a second or third-round Draft pick. You would have to consider it if you’re the Giants.”
Barkley has been electric for the Giants thus far this season, showing the form that he did as a rookie. His 317 rushing yards this season is second in the NFL and already more than half of what he totaled last season in 13 appearances.
The Penn State product is a true three-down, dual-threat back given his pass-catching skills. He currently leads the league in yards from scrimmage and would upgrade virtually any offense in the league.
New York is in a tough spot when it comes to Barkley because they are unlikely going to be able to meet his asking price when he hits free agency in 2023. Joe Schoen has a lot to clean up when it comes to the salary cap as Dave Gettleman left the franchise in shambles.
Paying big money to a running back in a rebuilding project is not good for business. If Barkley continues playing at this level, they could be approached with offers including Day 2 picks, which Esiason is correct in his assessment, would be tough to turn down.
While a trade isn’t going to happen this week, as the Giants are off to a 2-1 start, if the losses begin piling up, a trade will become more realistic. This is a rebuilding year for the Giants and if they can add more draft capital in the process, they would almost assuredly be open to it.
