Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
A New York Giants insider recently made the case for why the organization letting star running back Saquon Barkley test free agency this March would be a worthwhile risk in the offseason.
One of the biggest stories heading into the Giants offseason — aside from who they will use their first-round pick on — is how will they resolve their situation with Saquon Barkley. The 27-year-old is again set to become a free agent and the organization has some tough decisions to make.
They could decide to use their franchise tag on him again but making that choice last year led to a holdout and an unhappy star. They could also choose to lock him up to a long-term contract, yet both sides have seemingly made little progress towards a larger deal. Then there is the option of letting the New York native test his value on the open market.
While there is a great deal of risk in such a strategy, in a new mailbag column SNY New York Giants insider Connor Hughes made a very strong case for why it would be a very worthwhile gamble.
“Look at this year’s class of free agent running backs: Josh Jacobs (Raiders), Derrick Henry (Titans), Austin Ekeler (Chargers), Tony Pollard (Cowboys), D’Andre Swift (Eagles), Zack Moss (Colts), Devin Singletary (Texans). There’s a good chance Joe Mixon (Bengals) is cut, too. It’s a saturated market. That will drive the cost down. The Giants have the luxury of letting Barkley walk because they realize he’s not going to see the money he wants.”
– Connor Hughes
Last year, Barkley was viewed by many as probably the best running back on the market — along with former Eagles RB Miles Sanders. While Barkley was disappointed he didn’t get to hit free agency, Sanders was the latest victim of the declining value in backs when he only got a four-years and $25 million from the Panthers. A number well below what many expected.
With this year’s market flooded with talented running backs, and some that arguably could be seen as better than Barkley, the Giants could end up getting the two-time Pro Bowler back on a contract well below the expected $12.4 million franchise tag for RBs in 2024.
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