Episode 3 of Hard Knocks: Offseason with the New York Giants aired Tuesday night, and much of the conversation focused on how the front office handled free agency. Giants general manager Joe Schoen was once again under the microscope in what was one of the most impactful moments of the offseason.
From the decision not to sign Saquon Barkley to prioritizing offensive line replacements, plus trading for Brian Burns, fans got a behind-the-scenes look at how New York’s front office operated. In the process, they also ticked off Giants owner John Mara.
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John Mara hated seeing Saquon Barkley join Philadelphia Eagles
We finally learned how much money the New York Giants offered Saquon Barkley. In doing so, it became evident that Giants GM Joe Schoen never really wanted to pay the two-time Pro Bowl running back.
The whole time, Schoen sought out Barkley’s agent’s word that he’d be given the chance to match whatever offer the former No. 2 overall pick received in free agency. Barkley’s agent, Ed Berry, lived up to his word, but when it came time to match, Schoen didn’t live up to his.
As soon as Schoen mentioned making an offer to Singletary, Giants owner John Mara asked to learn the latest on Barkley’s situation. Schoen replied, “Chicago’s driving the price up, and Philly’s out.” Mara responded by putting his hand over his head in disgust.
This happened even after Giants owner John Mara made it known that he wanted to bring back the team’s best offensive playmaker, citing several reasons why.
“I’m going to have a tough time sleeping if Saquon goes to Philadelphia, I’ll tell you that … he’s the most popular player we have, by far.” – John Mara
In the end, Barkley’s camp came to the Giants with an offer that included an average annual value of $12.5 million per season, plus $25M guaranteed. He confirmed this by saying, “If I offered him today a three-year deal at $12.5M APY plus $25M guaranteed he’d be a New York Giant?”
He even took things a step further, suggesting he’d bring Barkley and his agent to team headquarters that same day for the press conference, showing that was a price he was willing to pay, if not eager to do so.
Only, Barkley’s agent called back with nearly the same exact offer with one slight change — $26M guaranteed, basically no difference in compensation. Yet, once Schoen heard this, he was blown away, saying, “We’re not gonna go there. We’re out.”
Why would a difference of $1 million change the Giants’ mind? The NFL salary cap is $255.4 million, so sparing one million more for one of their best players should have been a no-brainer. But they instead decided to balk and spend that money elsewhere, such as in the trenches.
Joe Schoen’s top priority was fixing New York Giants’ offensive line
“I think the priority right now is the offensive line. If we do anything… would you agree or no? What would you say is our No. 1 need? – Joe Schoen
“We need inside players, I’d say offensive line.” – Brian Daboll
Three of the players the Giants prioritized first were Robert Hunt, Jermaine Eluemunor, and Jon Runyan Jr. Schoen said that Eluemunor was the team’s No. 1-ranked free agent. They made offers to all three right away, while also extending a contract to Devin Singletary, a player Schoen and Brian Daboll were familiar with.
Signing Runyan came with complications. The former Green Bay Packers lineman also had a competing offer from the Jets, where he’d get to reunite with Aaron Rodgers and offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett. The Jets offered a two-year deal worth $9 million per season, and $17 million guaranteed. Yet, unlike in their contract negotiations with Saquon Barkley, the Giants were willing to up their offer to make sure they got their guy.
After learning of the Jets’ offer, Schoen took five seconds before saying, “Yeah do that, up the guarantee.” The Giants responded by matching the $17M guarantee and increasing their offer to $30 million over three years. While the Giants had a huge need at guard, he ranked as the 47th-best guard out of 79 players ranked by Pro Football Focus last season.
In other words, they paid extra for a mediocre player, but walked away from the chance to retain a Pro Bowl talent in Barkley. It’s an interesting decision, to say the least, especially considering it made the team owner upset to see the “most popular player, by far” sign with a division rival.
Then, the Giants turned their attention to finding a high-end backup quarterback, and they tried getting Tyrod Taylor back under contract right away. Only, Taylor found a better deal with the New York Jets for two years, $12 million. This led the Giants to sign their next target, Drew Lock to a one-year, $5 million contract.
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Saquon Barkley’s departure leads to arrival of Brian Burns
While the Giants didn’t feel Saquon Barkley was worth what the Philadelphia Eagles were willing to pay him, they did see the value in making Brian Burns one of the highest-paid defenders in the NFL. Except, unlike simply paying Barkley market value, the Giants also had to part with draft picks, plus still pay Burns market value.
It’s obvious that the Giants’ pass-rush took a major leap forward, but at what cost? Was paying extra for Burns and Runyan worth letting Barkley go? We’ll find out later this season, but starting the year with team ownership peeved at losing their most popular player to a division rival is far from ideal for a general manager who surely has to be on the hot seat.
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