Getty QB Jalen Hurts of the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Philadelphia Eagles and general manager Howie Roseman have not made a habit out of paying running backs great sums of money, but they’re being urged to make an exception where Saquon Barkley is concerned.
Barkley, who is currently nearing the end of his one-year, $10.1 million deal with the New York Giants, will be a free agent next offseason, unless the Giants extend him first.
Bob Brookover of NJ.com believes Philly should pounce if that happens. “He could be their Christian McCaffrey,” Brookover wrote on January 5.
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McCaffrey, 27, has been nothing short of spectacular since the San Francisco 49ers traded for him ahead of the trade deadline last season. The versatile back currently leads the NFL in rushing yards (1,459), and he has a whopping 21 total touchdowns.
Noting the 49ers running back had injuries that “limited him to a total of 10 games in 2020 and 2021,” Brookover believes Barkley, whose last serious injury was the torn ACL he suffered in September of the 2020 season, would be capable of a McCaffrey-type ascent behind an offensive line like Philadelphia’s.
“I asked several players if Barkley would rise to the same level McCaffrey has in San Francisco if he had a chance to play behind an offensive line like the Eagles have,” Brookover wrote.
Here are a few of the responses he got:
“I think if you look at what he’s done on paper, for sure, he’d probably put up those (McCaffrey) kind of numbers,” Eagles safety Kevin Byard told Brookover. “I mean, you look at a guy like A.J. (Brown). When A.J. was in Tennessee, he was in a run-heavy offense, and he clearly wasn’t getting the amount of targets he is getting now. Obviously he was always a great player and a Pro Bowl-type player, but you see him flourish in a different type of offense.”
“I think his stats would be similar to what (McCaffrey) is doing,” Eagles cornerback James Bradberry, who played alongside Barkley in New York in 2020 and 2021, told NJ.com, adding:
“That’s not a knock on (McCaffrey). They’re both great backs. I think they’re pretty much similar players. They’re both very, very quick. They run the ball hard … and they also can make plays coming out of the backfield.”
Saquon Barkley Contract: How Much Will He Be Commanding in Free Agency?
Barkley is still young — younger than McCaffrey. The Giants RB turns 27 in February. He also likely won’t be all that expensive to sign. Spotrac has him projected to ink a three-year deal worth just under $20 million ($6.6 million per season). Over the Cap has his valuation at around $6.5 million a year, while PFF thinks he’ll net a two-year, $22 million ($11 million per year) deal.
In 13 games this season, Barkley has 1,145 all-purpose yards (916 rushing, 229 receiving) and 8 total touchdowns. Last year, in 16 games, Barkley ran for a career-high 1,312 yards, adding 10 touchdowns and 338 receiving yards.
The Giants’ offensive line has been bad this year. It’s not unreasonable to think Barkley could thrive in a place like Philly. The Eagles currently have the No. 9 ranked running game in the league, and they were ranked No. 5 in that same category last season.
While Roseman hasn’t been known to spend a lot on running backs, Barkley won’t be asking to reset the market — and he could give the Giants another playmaker for Jalen Hurts to work with.