The general expectation is that the New York Giants will be moving on from running back Saquon Barkley this offseason, and ESPN’s Jordan Raanan said as much on Friday.
Raanan says that a league source said the Giants don’t want to invest $10 million into a halfback, which is what Barkley is expected to land on the free-agent market.
However, Raanan notes that New York did offer Barkley more than that last year, which could mean Big Blue would entertain going back to that well again this spring.
That being said, it seems hard to imagine the Giants allocating that much money toward Barkley this time around.
New York has tons of needs up and down the roster. It has numerous holes along its offensive line, it needs a No. 1 receiver and it still has to add some pieces defensively. Of course, the Giants also need a quarterback, but they will probably just end up drafting one next month. They did, however, meet with Russell Wilson on Friday morning.
Taking all of that into consideration, the most likely outcome seems to be New York allowing Barkley to walk, even if it means the 27-year-old signing with an NFC East division rival. Barkley and the Philadelphia Eagles have apparently expressed mutual interest, and there has also been speculation that the Dallas Cowboys could pursue the two-time Pro Bowler.
The Giants placed a franchise tag on Barkley last offseason and have been unable to reach a long-term agreement with the Penn State product. He ended up rushing for 962 yards and six touchdowns while averaging a pedestrian 3.9 yards per carry in 2023, so he did not exactly help his case. Plus, he missed three games due to an ankle injury, further adding to his checkered injury history.
Barkley has long maintained that he would prefer to remain in New York, as he was born in the Bronx and has definitely endeared himself to Giants fans.
However, with the running back position becoming more and more devalued over the years and Barkley having trouble staying on the field, it seems like a certainty that the two sides are destined to part ways.
We’ll see where Saquon Barkley ends up in the coming weeks.
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