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Joe Schoen has given Daniel Jones a new contract, added to the quarterback’s targets and found value for the New York Giants in the 2023 NFL draft. Now, the general manager is focusing on securing the long-term future of running back Saquon Barkley.
The signs look good, with Schoen revealing “they’ve even had talks recently about a contract extension,” according to ESPN’s Jordan Raanan. Schoen told reporters, including Raanan, the Giants plan to “reconvene” those talks with Barkley now this year’s draft is in the books.
It’s a positive update about a situation that had appeared anything but prior to the draft. Barkley received the franchise tag earlier this offseason, but he’s so far been reluctant to sign the one-year deal worth $10.091 million.
Instead, No. 26 wants a payday on a par with the highest-paid running backs in the league. The Giants will struggle to accommodate such an outlay, but trying has to be worth it since Barkley is the most-talented player on offense and arguably the team as a whole.
Giants Keeping in Touch With Barkley
Schoen’s efforts to keep the lines of communication open between the team and Barkley extended to the draft. The GM even told the player of his plan to select Oklahoma running back Eric Gray in Round 5, “making sure Barkley would not be blindsided by the news,” per Paul Schwartz of the New York Post.
Gray’s a player the Giants got later than they expected, making him good value and a potential steal. The Giants’ high grade on Gray gives the front office another layer of leverage in contract talks with Barkley.
Negotiations already favor Schoen thanks to running backs not being valued as highly as quarterbacks. It’s why Jones got a four-year contract worth $160 million, but Barkley had to settle for the tag, despite producing a career year in 2022.
Those numbers are why Barkley feels slighted by the tag. The 26-year-old won’t sign and intends to skip voluntary workouts, according to Newsday’s Kim Jones.
It means the onus is on the Giants to find a compromise.
Compromising With Saquon Barkley Won’t Be Easy
Before the draft, Raanan reported he’d been told “a deal worth $14 million annually could have been a range Barkley considered acceptable.” The problem is the Giants need to find room for those terms.
Room is something Schoen doesn’t have. Not when Spotrac.com has the Giants just $1,815,947 under the salary cap. Schoen also needs to find some cash for a lucrative contract extension for All-Pro nose tackle Dexter Lawrence II, another player the Giants plan to resume talks with, per Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News.
Barkley should be the priority since he’s a dual-threat weapon who makes the Giants’ offense tick. He’s the workhorse on the ground and also tied for the team lead with 57 receptions last season.
Production isn’t Barkley’s problem as much as his injury history. He missed 18 games during 2020 and ’21 thanks to knee and ankle injuries.
A shaky track record of durability is doubly problematic for any running back, given how the position leads to such heavy wear and tear and subsequently a shorter lifespan in the NFL.
If the Giants can somehow find a middle ground and agree a contract for Barkley covering at least the next three seasons, Schoen will rightly feel this offseason has been a major success.
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