The Philadelphia Eagles typically don’t like to spend big on running backs. It’s why they allowed Miles Sanders to walk last offseason, and they’ll probably let D’Andre Swift sign elsewhere this spring for the same reason.
That’s why the fact that they are apparently interested in Saquon Barkley is strange, but, nevertheless, there seems to be mutual interest in a union between Barkley and the Eagles, according to Ryan Dunleavy of The New York Post.
Eagles beat writer Howard Eskin also had a hard time believing that Philadelphia was preparing for a free agent pursuit of Barkley, but he says he “checked it and the Eagles do have interest” in the two-time Pro Bowl halfback.
Eskin added that Barkley is “not going to get a ton of money,” which explains why Philly may be comfortable signing him in the coming weeks.
Barkley has spent the first six years of his career with the New York Giants after being taken with the second overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft.
The Giants slapped a franchise tag on the 27-year-old last year and were unable to reach a long-term agreement with him.
New York met with Barkley’s representatives at the NFL Scouting Combine last week, but no contract offers were made on either side.
Barkley is coming off of a rather rough 2023 campaign in which he played 14 games and rushed for 962 yards and six touchdowns while averaging a pedestrian 3.9 yards per carry. He added 41 catches for 280 yards and four scores.
Still, the Bronx native is just two years removed from a Pro Bowl appearance when he set a career-high with 1,312 rushing yards. He also punched in 10 scores on the ground in 2022, contributing 57 receptions for 338 yards as a receiver out of the backfield.
A healthy Barkley would certainly represent an upgrade over Swift, but it should be noted that he has not played a full season since his rookie year.
We’ll see if the Eagles actually do chase after Saquon Barkley once free agency begins next week.
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