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Two potentially sticky free-agency decisions aren’t going away for the New York Giants and general manager Joe Schoen. Those decisions concern quarterback Daniel Jones and running back Saquon Barkley.
There are no easy answers for either dilemma. Jones has his detractors, but he’s a competent, dual-threat starter who is winning games at a position that’s hard to overhaul successfully in the NFL.
As for Barkley, he’s the fulcrum of the offense, but he’s playing a position no longer valued as highly as in other eras. That could change if Barkley commands the type of deal he’s earning on the field this season.
No. 26 has the vote of a former Super Bowl-winning running back who hopes Barkley will raise the value of the position by getting the payday he deserves.
Barkley Gets Super Bowl Endorsement
Leonard Fournette helped the Tampa Bay Buccaneers win Super Bowl LV with some prolific performances in the postseason. ‘Playoff Lenny’ spoke to The 33rd Team and told Barkley “Hopefully bro, I hope you set the market for the running backs, you know, somethin’ new. They don’t really value us like that any more, but I believe a guy his standard and how he’s playing every weekend, and plus he has the ‘C’ on his chest.”
Barkley has every chance to make good on Fournette’s wishes. The Giants’ first-round pick in 2018 has stayed off the treatment table and is averaging 4.4 yards per carry, the second-highest tally of his career.
Aside from showcasing his familiar mix of power, speed and moves, Barkley has also reminded fans he still has a nose for the end zone. Eight rushing touchdowns prove his knack for finding pay-dirt, with Barkley’s latest score, against the Washington Commanders in Week 13, finding favor with Fournette: “This is a great run, man. I like the Jordan layup at the end.”
Barkley’s putting together the kind of season that makes him indispensable to the Giants. It’s also likely to garner him Pro-Bowl recognition for the first time since he was a rookie, according to ESPN’s Jordan Raanan:
A Pro-Bowl nod would be one more reason for Barkley being one of the most coveted prizes available in the veteran market.
Franchise Tag a Weapon Giants May Have to Use
The more Barkley thrives, the more Schoen may have to ask himself, who is more valuable? His QB or running back?
Usually, this would be an easy choice. Pay the quarterback, secure football’s most important position and trust being able to find more value with a cheaper runner.
There are two reasons why the Giants might resist the usual thinking. First, Jones is playing solid football, but he’s far from an elite signal-caller.
A mere 6.8 yards per attempt and 11 touchdowns through the air suggest Jones won’t develop under Brian Daboll the way Josh Allen did when the Giants’ head coach was offensive coordinator for the Buffalo Bills.
It means the Giants may be better served offering Jones a short-term deal, rather than a lengthy new contract. Schoen could use the franchise tag to achieve that, but the ploy would drain funds from Barkley’s potential multi-year contract.
The tag for quarterbacks is projected by OverTheCap.com to be valued at $29,703,000 in 2023. It will be much cheaper to tag a running back at a cost of $9,570,000.
Tagging Barkley would let the Giants keep their options open with Jones and at least avoid a bidding war for one of their two prized assets. It would also leave Schoen most of the Giants’ projected $59,005,817 worth of space under the salary cap to fortify a roster needing more talent at wide receiver, interior offensive line, cornerback and inside linebacker.
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