The New York Giants will look a lot different in 2022 than they did in 2021. New general manager Joe Schoen has done about as good of a job as he could in his first offseason leading the team, trying to clean up the mess that Dave Gettleman left the roster in. Saquon Barkley could end up being on the move at some point and the Los Angeles Chargers have been named a potential trade destination.
Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll, who both came over from the Buffalo Bills, are trying to get the Giants back on track and return to prominence. They have been one of the worst franchises in the NFL the last few years, so there is a lot of work to do, but they look to at least have a plan they are looking to execute.
A majority of this offseason was spent unloading players from Gettleman’s tenure leading the front office. One of the most prominent players remaining is running back Saquon Barkley.
Gettleman selected Barkley with his first draft pick with the organization, taking him No. 2 overall in the 2018 NFL Draft. It was a selection that was questioned right from the start as the running back position has been devalued around the league but Gettleman felt the talent was too much to pass up on.
As a rookie, Barkley looked like the real deal when he gained 2,028 yards and took home the Rookie of the Year award. Since then, however, things haven’t been as positive. Barkley has dealt with injuries and had to run behind an offensive line that couldn’t get the job done.
There is hope that Barkley can bounce back with the improvements to the offensive line and Daboll running the show, but his future with the team is cloudy. Given the current state of the roster, it is hard to imagine Barkley signing a long-term deal with the Giants.
With that in mind, Barkley is someone that could find himself on the trade block until trades are no longer allowed to be made. Over at Bleacher Report, they believe the Los Angeles Chargers will eventually make a move to acquire the former Penn State star.
Los Angeles has been looking for a complement to Austin Ekeler in the backfield since Melvin Gordon departed but hasn’t found one. If fourth-round pick Isaiah Spiller is unable to get the job done, they could look to the trade market to find one.
With Justin Herbert on his rookie contract, the Chargers have to maximize their chance to spend money now to upgrade their roster. They spent big on the defensive side of the ball already, acquiring Kahili Mack in a trade from the Chicago Bears and signing J.C. Jackson.
The offense could use some love and Barkley would be an excellent pickup. Herbert would have a ton of weapons to spread the ball around to with Keenan Allen and Mike Williams at wide receiver as well.
For New York, this is likely the best route to go. If Saquon Barkley can stay healthy and produce, he could fetch a better return on a trade than teams were willing to offer this offseason. If the Giants do not believe they will keep him beyond his rookie contract, trading him and not relying on the compensatory formula for a pick would make a lot of sense.
