Getty Saquon Barkley, a potential Cowboys target in free agency.
Of the many issues that the Cowboys will need to sort out in the coming weeks as they rebuild their roster after an outstanding 2023 season turned into another baffling playoff flop, what to do at running back is not the most pressing. But incumbent Tony Pollard is a free agent and the Cowboys will need to figure out whether to keep him or bring in another player.
And former Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum thinks there is an “easy” solution on hand: take away a divisional foe’s best player. That would be Saquon Barkley of the Giants.
Asked where Barkley would fit, Tannenbaum said on ESPN’s “Get Up!”: “This one’s easy, it’s the Dallas Cowboys. Tony Pollard was mildly disappointing replacing Zeke Elliott, his production went down by about 25%.”
Cowboys Signing Saquon Barkley Would Be a Shot at Giants
Indeed, Pollard struggled last year as he was coming back from a broken fibula suffered during the team’s playoff loss to San Francisco the previous year. But his first go at replacing Elliott did not go all that well. Pollard logged 1,005 yards this season, which was good for 12th in the NFL and only two yards off last year’s total (1,007). But he did so on 252 carries, and his average of 4.0 yards per carry was well off last year’s mark, 5.2 yards per rush.
He struggled in short-yardage situations, too. Barkley, though, is more of an every-down back who can grind out tough yards and still has big-play ability as both a rusher and a receiver. It doesn’t hurt that signing him would be a direct shot at the Giants.
“So when you’re looking at free agency, the first thing you do is say, ‘If we’re going to go outside our building, who can we get in the division to help us and hurt our opponent?’,” Tannenbaum said. “Trust me, the last thing that the New York Giants want to see, if Saquon Barkley graduates this year, is him with a star on the side of his helmet. Can you imagine the first time that Dallas rolls into town with Saquon Barkley as a Cowboy?
“He would be perfect because he can catch, he can run, I think his pass protection has actually gotten better. And based on the way Tony Pollard played, I actually think he would improve that positions for the 2024 Cowboys.”
$30-$37 Million for a RB Too Rich?
Barkley was a Pro Bowl running back in 2022, but slipped in 2023 as the Giants’ offense sputtered. He fought his way through an ankle injury that cost him three games and slowed him down for longer. He finished the year with 962 yards on 247 carries, and posted an average of only 3.9 yards per carry. Those numbers could scare off other suitors, but the Cowboys should recognize that Barkley could be in line for a bounce-back year.
When healthy, Barkley is among the best backs in the NFL, and could wind up being a bargain given the unimpressive season he had with the Giants. Still, the Cowboys’ salary-cap situation is tight. Barkley is projected at Spotrac to have a market value of $9.9 million per year, and projected to garner a three-year, $30 million contract.
Pro Football Focus is a little more bullish on the running back market in free agency and is projecting a three-year deal worth $37 million for Barkley. The site rates him as the top running back in free agency this offseason.