Giants Replacing Saquon Barkley With 1,000-Yard Rusher Would ‘Make Sense’

Saquon Barkley powered the New York Giants during the 2022 NFL season, but re-signing the star free agent is an expensive proposition. Giving Daniel Jones a new deal is likely to be the priority, since quarterbacks are valued so much higher than running backs in today’s league.

If the Giants look for a cheaper alternative to Barkley, David Montgomery is one of many running backs who “make sense,” according to Charlotte Carroll of The Athletic: “Maybe the Giants would be better served to let Barkley hit the open market and allow the crowded field to drive down his price. Or maybe they target a back who could still flourish in their system. Perhaps David Montgomery, Jamaal Williams, Kareem Hunt, D’onta Foreman or Damien Harris make sense.”

Montgomery is likely to be available on the market, per ESPN’s Field Yates, who believes the Chicago Bears won’t re-sign their starter: “This one is tricky, as Montgomery is so respected by the organization and the Bears have more cap space than any other team. But with Khalil Herbert and Trestan Ebner on the depth chart, Chicago might decide to allocate the resources elsewhere — like receiver, offensive line or cornerback.”

While the four-year pro can’t match Barkley’s numbers and game-breaking talent, Montgomery is a capable runner, receiver and blocker. He fits the versatility Giants’ head coach Brian Daboll often favored in running backs when he was offensive coordinator for the Buffalo Bills.

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NFC Starter a Cost-Effective Alternative to Saquon Barkley

The Giants won’t find another running back as dynamic as Barkley in free agency without paying big bucks. That would mean going after one of the other marquee names in the class, Tony Pollard of the Dallas Cowboys or Las Vegas Raiders’ Pro-Bowler Josh Jacobs.

Montgomery represents a more cost-effective alternative, with Spotrac.com projecting his market value as $7.2 million per season. It’s a fee well below the $16 million earned by Christian McCaffrey of the San Francisco 49ers.

At least $14 million is what the Giants should deem Barkley to be worth, according to Stephen A. Smith of ESPN’s First Take:

Montgomery’s predicted wage is under the $12 million the Giants offered Barkley during the season’s bye week, per The Athletic’s Dan Duggan. Montgomery would also be cheaper than applying the franchise tag to Barkley, a ploy set to cost $10.091 million.

These differences in price are things the Giants must consider. Especially when general manager Joe Schoen is occupied with re-signing Jones, securing the future of free safety Julian Love and agreeing a contract extension for All-Pro nose tackle Dexter Lawrence.

The Giants would save money by making a deal with Montgomery, but they’d also have to accept reduced production.

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25-Year-Old Can’t Match Saquon Barkley’s Output

Montgomery rushed for 1,070 yards during his second season in 2020, but he hasn’t reached 850 yards on the ground in a season since. Even so, the 25-year-old has still been durable and handled a heavy workload in both phases of the offense.

His 2022 season yielded 201 rushes for 801 yards and five touchdowns, including this score against the New England Patriots in Week 7:

Montgomery is a hard-nosed runner who can be the same red-zone threat Barkley has been for the Giants. A talent for catching passes is something else the two workhorse backs share.

Barkley tied for the team lead with 57 receptions, so he’d be a big miss in how the Giants attack defenses through the air. Fortunately, Montgomery has 155 catches to his credit during his career, with 34 of those recorded this season.

Good hands, allied with speed and power in open space, define Montgomery as a receiver. He showed off all of those things on this nifty catch and run against the New York Jets in Week 12, highlighted by former Bears’ tight end Clay Harbor:

Replacing Barkley with Montgomery might be a low-key move, but Caroll pointed out how Daboll and Schoen coped when the Bills never “invested heavily” at running back. Instead, Buffalo’s offense succeeded with all-rounders such as free agent Devin Singletary, who was solid in all three phases, just like Montgomery.

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