Getty New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley on December 12, 2021.
We talked about it all season in 2021, the Kansas City Chiefs need a third playmaker to pair with Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce.
How they go about finding that is another debate altogether, but many analysts are beginning to make their suggestions. On March 1, ESPN’s Eric Moody tweeted: “If the Chiefs were really smart they would trade for Saquon Barkley.”
If the Chiefs were really smart they would trade for Saquon Barkley.
This idea came after the New York Giants’ new general manager Joe Schoen told reporters that he is “open to everything,” when asked whether or not he’d trade the former “generational talent.” ESPN NYG beat reporter Jordan Raanan added that “[the Giants] have to make some difficult decisions on guys which will be coming ‘soon.'”
Let the Barkley trade speculation begin.
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CBS Sports Analyst Puts KC Sixth on the List
While ranking landing spots for the No. 2 overall pick in 2018, CBS Sports writer Cody Benjamin included the Chiefs, putting them sixth on his list. He explained:
Andy Reid has taken a few flyers on veteran RBs lately, from Le’Veon Bell to LeSean McCoy to current No. 2 Jerick McKinnon. Barkley would be the most talented yet, freeing Clyde Edwards-Helaire of the burden to emerge as a reliable RB1. They’ve got cap space, and they’re always looking to surround Patrick Mahomes with more talent.
This destination does make some sense for those reasons above, and another Benjamin left out — Barkley’s ability as a pass-catcher. The aforementioned McKinnon sort of filled that third-down back role down the stretch in 2021 but an upgrade at this position wouldn’t hurt.
General manager Brett Veach also loves reclamation projects, and not just at running back. Remember, Kansas City has taken shots on former first-round busts like Mike Hughes and Deandre Baker at cornerback among others.
The major question is, how much would it cost?
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Barkley Price Tag via Trade
We all know that Barkley has the potential to be dynamic but what we don’t know is how often he’ll be on the field. Going one step further, how often has he been 100% when he’s played in recent seasons?
Due to his lengthy injury history, Veach probably wouldn’t want to make a major commitment to Barkley but he may not have to. According to Benjamin, the Giants “could also agree to eat some of Barkley’s 2022 salary” in a deal.
He’s set to make a little over $7.2 million this season and he’d be a free agent in 2023. As a one-year rental that might prove cost-efficient — if New York splits the bill — would KC spend a draft pick on this high-upside flyer?
Surveying sources in Indy, the consensus trade value for James Bradberry is a third-round pick and Saquon Barkley is a fourth-round pick. I’m skeptical that the Giants will pull the trigger on a Saquon trade.
Giants beat reporter for The Athletic, Dan Duggan, tweeted out the asking price for Barkley on March 3. He stated: “Surveying sources in Indy, the consensus trade value for James Bradberry is a third-round pick and Saquon Barkley is a fourth-round pick. I’m skeptical that the Giants will pull the trigger on a Saquon trade.”
Side note: Bradberry is another trade option for the Chiefs at cornerback.
Back to Barkley — if he were to cost Kansas City their fourth-rounder in 2022, plus about $5 million in cap space, would you take the chance on a former top-two running back that totaled over 2,000 scrimmage yards his rookie campaign?
It’s a fair question for a team in need of an affordable offensive weapon, and one Veach might consider over the next couple of weeks.