Getty Saquon Barkley warms up before a game against the Los Angeles Chargers.
The Buffalo Bills could make a splash this offseason by targeting a former Pro Bowl running back in need of a fresh start, an insider is predicting.
The Bills aren’t expected to make many big moves in free agency, but ESPN’s Mike Tannenbaum suggested that they could look to trade for New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley, who has been hampered by injuries could be a cap casualty for a team looking to shed salary this offseason. The 25-year-old Barkley has not been able to match the numbers from his breakout rookie season, but Tannenbaum said he could still be the perfect addition for Buffalo.
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Bills Could Add Barkley
Appearing in “Get Up” on ESPN, Tannenbaum said that if the Giants do end up parting ways with Barkley, the Bills could be one of the most logical landing spots.
“They’re sort of in the ‘one player away’ mode,” he said, noting that Barkley is a difference-making running back who can do damage in both the running and passing games. “To me, he makes all the sense in the world. Could you imagine Josh Allen, a healthy Saquon Barkley, and Stefon Diggs? Now you can go compete with Cincinnati, you can go compete with Kansas City.”
.@RealTannenbaum wants to see Saquon Barkley play for the Bills 👀
“Could you imagine Josh Allen, a healthy Saquon Barkley, and Stefon Diggs?”
Bills general manager Brandon Beane has said that the team needs to add more speed in the offseason, targeting players who give a boost to the passing game by racking up yards after the catch. That was particularly evident to Beane after the Bills lost to the speedy Chiefs in two straight playoffs.
“We mentioned [Chiefs receiver] Tyreek Hill. I mean, you’d love to have a guy … that you can get the ball to and he can turn a 5-yard pass into a 60-yard touchdown,” Beane said, via ESPN. “You can never have enough of that.”
But Beane has also warned that the Bills are likely out of making any big moves this offseason due to their tight cap space. While there are some maneuvers Beane can make to give them some breathing room — including restructuring the contract of receiver Cole Beasley or releasing some veteran players — he has warned that there will not be much room for big free-agent acquisitions.
Barkley Could Be on the Move
Whether the Bills target Barkley or not, it appears the former No. 2 overall pick could be on the move this offseason. As SI.com’s Dan Lyons noted, the Giants are projected to be $12 million over the cap in 2022, and new general manager Joe Schoen made it clear that he’s open to anything.
“We’re still working through that, but I’m open to everything,” Schoen said, via ESPN. “Like whether it’s trading player for player; I’ll listen to anybody. If it’s trading a couple players—I’m not going to say the entire roster, [that] we’re open for business on the entire roster. But if anyone is going to call and they’re interested in any of our players. I’m certainly going to listen.”
The New York Giants are willing to entertain calls for RB Saquon Barkley, says GM Joe Schoen.
@JordanRaanan has more: t.co/wRf63UWwNR
It’s not clear what price Barkley could fetch, and Lyons added that Giants running back has missed 21 games over the last three seasons, and faltered last season with just 593 rushing yards and 263 receiving yards in 13 games.
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