Getty Saquon Barkley "makes sense" for an NFC team in free agency, amid uncertainty about his Giants future.
Saquon Barkley’s future with the New York Giants depends on how the team resolves the contract situation involving fellow free agent Daniel Jones. If the Giants sign their quarterback to a new long-term contract, Barkley will likely be franchise tagged.
If the Giants don’t use the tag, Barkley will be free to enter 2023 NFL free agency, where the bluehchip running back “makes sense for the Detroit Lions, according to Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine: “D’Andre Swift would be a good complementary back to Barkley, and they could help each other stay healthy in a run-heavy offense.”
While Ballentine also named the Lions’ NFC North rivals the Chicago Bears as a good fit for Barkley, there’s still every chance the Giants re-sign their best weapon on offense. Doing so will require offering terms that “would mirror something similar to Derrick Henry’s contract at $12-14 million per season, only, ideally for the Giants, on a three-year deal,” per Heavy’s Senior NFL Reporter Matt Lombardo.
Barkley did enough last season to be paid on a par with Tennessee Titans’ workhorse Henry. Letting Barkley join the Lions would likely see Detroit adopt the role the Giants played in 2022, namely a team that confounds the experts and becomes an unlikely playoff participant.
Saquon Barkley Would Transform NFC North Franchise
The Lions operate one of the toughest, most versatile rushing attacks in the league, something the Giants found out the hard way. Big Blue were beaten 31-18 by the Lions at MetLife Stadium in Week 11, and the visitors amassed 160 yards and four touchdowns on the ground, including one by Swift:
Speed and shiftiness are the keys to Swift’s game, but he’s not a bell-cow back like Barkley. The latter was the oil in the engine for the Giants during a 10-8-1 season.
It was No. 26 who inspired a remarkable turnaround during head coach Brian Daboll’s first season in charge. Daboll and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka were smart enough to give Barkley a career-high 295 carries.
Barkley turned those attempts into 1,312 yards and a 4.4-yard per carry average. He also rushed for 62 first downs and gained 749 yards before contact, per Pro Football Reference.
Those are the numbers of one of the league’s marquee running backs. They more than justify giving Barkley Henry-level money.
Giants Can’t Make Running Back’s Next Deal an Afterthought
Jones is likely to get his deal first, simply because he plays football’s most important position. Yet, Jones is also coming off one good season that’s an outlier during a four-year career otherwise beset by injuries and turnovers.
Handing Jones a bumper deal when he still has a lot to prove is a gamble the Giants should think twice about. Especially if it comes at the expense of securing more years for Barkley.
The Giants need Barkley for the big-play threat he brings to their offense. Daboll and Kafka know this because they design plays specifically to allow Barkley to break games open.
Plays like this 40-yard run against the Green Bay Packers in Week 5:
SAQUON IN THE WILDCAT
📺: #NYGvsGB on @NFLNetwork
📱: Stream on NFL+ t.co/miBTGIf2La
Contrast a long gain like this with Jones throwing for just 15 touchdowns and having a big-time throw rate among the worst in the league, according to Chris Trapasso of CBS Sports:
On Daniel Jones:
His big-time throw rate was 1.4% in 2022. 1.4%! Only Matt Ryan’s was lower among qualifying QBs. Turnover-worthy play rate was 3.0%. His YPA was 25th.
I assume Giants don’t want to send a “bad message” to locker room, but this shouldn’t be a difficult decision.
The “difficult decision” Trapasso referred to concerns the $45 million annual salary Lombardo confirmed Jones has asked for from the Giants. Paying Jones top-tier money will represent a considerable leap of faith he can join the ranks of the game’s elite at his position, sooner rather than later.
Barkley is already in that bracket, along with Henry, so the Giants should pay him accordingly.