The New York Giants are a team that a lot of people are keeping their eyes on ahead of the 2023 NFL Trade Deadline. Owning a record of 1-5 heading into their Week 7 matchup with the Washington Commanders, it is easy to understand why the team might be sellers ahead of the October 31st deadline.
The Giants have a few veterans, such as cornerback Adoree’ Jackson and defensive tackle Leonard Williams, who are on expiring deals that could have some value around the league. Safety Xavier McKinney is in the last year of his rookie contract and if a long-term extension isn’t in the plans, trading him for something now makes sense as well.
The player most people are interested to see how things unfold with is running back Saquon Barkley. He had the franchise tag placed on him this past offseason and negotiations between him and the team got very public, something he didn’t like.
The two sides were unable to come to a long-term agreement, which led to him playing out this season on an amended one-year deal. Incentives were added to his contract to increase the pay, but it is unlikely he will reach them after suffering another injury that kept him sidelined for three games.
Despite being the centerpiece of the Giants offense, if they receive a strong enough trade offer for him, general manager Joe Schoen will think long and hard about pulling the trigger. But, if the star running back has his way, he won’t be going anywhere in the coming days.
“Sitting here, everyone knows how I feel. Everyone knows I don’t want to get traded,” Barkley said. “I don’t think anyone in their right mind would want to get traded anywhere. It’s not an easy thing to do. You have to move. I have a family. I would love to be here.
“But like I said, it’s not in my control. My focus is to be the leader I can be for this team and get this thing on the right track.”
This weekend’s game against the Commanders will be very telling. After an overall solid performance against the Buffalo Bills in Week 6, in which the Giants fell just short of the upset losing 14-9, there is some optimism this thing can get turned around. But, a loss to Washington would all but seal the team’s fate.
If they lose that game, expect trade rumors around New York to really pick up. At 1-6, Schoen would have all the incentive he needs to trade veteran players and recoup as much value as he can, turning his attention to 2024.
