Getty The Seahawks could make a run at Giants RB Saquon Barkley.
The Seattle Seahawks could pull off a trade for this former Pro Bowler.
According to CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin, the Seahawks are a “potential landing spot” for New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley. The former Pro Bowl running back could be on the move with Giants head coach Brian Daboll leaving the door open for trade offers in exchange for Barkley.
Benjamin explains why Barkley could be a fit for the Seahawks entering the 2022 season, citing Barkley’s ability to potentially lead a two-man running back approach with Chris Carson.
“Pete Carroll might as well invest in his own banged-up project from the 2018 class, Rashaad Penny,” says Benjamin. “But if they can’t strike a deal in free agency, or even if they do, Chris Carson’s future is also up in the air. Carroll loves the old-school ground-and-pound game, and Barkley would essentially give him two bruising backs to play behind Russell Wilson.”
Barkley Likely to Receive Big Money on Next Contract
Benjamin also mentions how Barkley has displayed “MVP-caliber” talent by the age of 25. However, injuries have sidelined him and cost him 21 games over the past three seasons.
Barkley is on the verge of entering the final season of his rookie contract where he’s due just $7.2 million. As Benjamin notes, Barkley could be seeking a deal anywhere from $10-to-$15 million per year on his new contract. This is the very reason why the Giants would be wise to move Barkley for assets before he departs as a free agent.
Making matters even more appealing for the Seahawks — or any other NFL team for that matter — is that Barkley’s reported value via trade is just a fourth-round draft pick, according to Dan Duggan of The Athletic. For perspective, cornerback James Bradberry is worth a third-round draft pick via trade. According to Pro Football Focus, Bradberry ranked 58th among all cornerbacks in defensive grade (62.8).
“Surveying sources in Indy, the consensus trade value for James Bradberry is a third-round pick and Saquon Barkley is a fourth-round pick,” says Duggan. “I’m skeptical that the Giants will pull the trigger on a Saquon trade.”
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How the Seahawks Could Utilize Barkley
While that may make the Giants hesitant to pull off a deal, the Seahawks could easily sweeten a potential trade by adding a player or upgrading the pick to a third-round draft selection. If Seattle really wants to get crafty, they could incentivize the trade by upgrading the draft pick based upon Barkley’s performance in the 2022 season.
The Seahawks had a number of issues during the 2021 season, but their running back situation was one of their most glaring. Due to a serious neck injury by Chris Carson, the Seahawks running back was limited to just four games. Seattle started four different running backs last season, including the 36-year-old Adrian Peterson.
While the numbers look good — the Seahawks ranked third in rushing yards per attempt — they ranked just 27th in rushing attempts due to not having their workhorse running back in the lineup. Adding Barkley to a two-back approach eliminates the concern of losing Carson — or Barkley himself — to injury.
Adding Barkley to the mix could alleviate the pressure off of Russell Wilson and give Seattle a ground-and-pound approach. Instead of relying heavily on Wilson — as the Seahawks have done in recent years — Seattle could have a more balanced offensive approach. That could lead to more victories, as the Seahawks rode that offensive model to success when Marshawn Lynch was spearheading the attack in Wilson’s early years.