It seems the trade market for New York Giants Pro Bowl talents James Bradberry and Saquon Barkley has not been strong since the two players became available in recent weeks.
New Giants General Manager Joe Schoen has his work cut out for him after he took on a team that had the second-worst record in the NFC at 4-13. Yet, despite all the holes the team has, they did not head into the 2022 league year with boatloads of cash with which to cure their roster ills. Instead, as of Tuesday, the team is nearly $7 million dollars over the current salary cap.
In an attempt to cut some of the fat and get under the cap, the team has successfully shed several contracts, including tight end Kyle Rudolph. However, that is far from enough to take the team’s financial situation to a place where they could go into the free-agent market and possibly sign up some difference-makers for 2022.
New York Giants reportedly have no leverage in James Bradberry and Saquon Barkley trade markets
With the strategy of addition by subtraction to improve the team’s cophers, the Giants have actually put former Pro Bowlers Barkley and Bradberry on the trade market. Both men will yield a nearly $30 million cap number for this upcoming season. Moving them would be a boon financially, and as players with proven talent, they should be able to score the Giants a solid return. That’s in theory, and it seems that interested parties around the league don’t value Bradberry and Barkley as much as the Giants do.
- Saquon Barkley stats (2021): 593 yards rushing, 263 yards receiving, 4 touchdowns
On Monday, SNY Giants Insider Ralph Vacchiano reported that the market for both men has not been what the Giants had hoped for.
“In their continuing efforts to clear salary-cap space, the Giants have talked with multiple teams about trading both players, according to multiple NFL sources, but so far, the market doesn’t appear to be strong,” Vacchiano wrote. “The biggest reason seems to be a feeling that the Giants are ‘desperate’ to clear cap space, as one source put it, and will likely have to move one of them for new GM Joe Schoen to reach his stated goal of clearing $40 million off the team’s books.
“That doesn’t give the Giants much leverage in any trade negotiations, especially with the free-agent frenzy about to begin,” he added.
In the end, what seemed like talents that could possibly net the team a solid second or third-round draft choice may instead only return a late-round pick if Schoen hopes to reach his goal of cutting $40 million off the team’s books in time to make a substantial push in free agency.
Last week there were rumors they could make a play for free-agent quarterback Mitch Trubisky. However, that is a moot point after he agreed to terms with the Pittsburgh Steelers over the weekend.