Why It Matters: Barkley is likely one of the easiest at his place.
A two-time Pro Bowl variety, Barkley has been a mainstay of the Giants’ offense because the workforce drafted him No. 2 total in 2018, and he gave the workforce an id because it moved over from longtime quarterback Eli Manning.
He used to be named the offensive rookie of the yr in his first season, and his explosive runs helped flip him right into a face of the league, whilst ankle and knee accidents stored him out of 21 video games from 2019 via 2021.
Barkley bounced again remaining season to assist lead the Giants (9-7-1) to their first playoff look because the 2016 season. Behind his 1,312 dashing yards on 295 carries (each fourth easiest within the NFL) and 10 dashing touchdowns, the Giants had been a top-five dashing workforce and scored 21 touchdowns at the floor when compared with 17 passing.
The workforce’s determination to provide Barkley the franchise tag has been some degree of dialogue in NFL circles, with even contributors of the Giants’ opponents talking up on his behalf. In April, Cowboys defensive finish Micah Parsons argued on Twitter that Barkley is the center-piece of the Giants’ offense. “The scheme on Monday morning is we well not let SAQUON BARKLEY BEAT Us!!,” he wrote, including “Pay him!”
The Background: Teams are averse to long-term offers for working backs.
Barkley is most probably on the lookout for a deal on par with the perfect earners at his activity.
His four-year rookie deal used to be price $31.19 million and the workforce picked up his choice for $7.2 million remaining season.
Christian McCaffrey of the 49ers has the highest reasonable wage for a working again at $16 million, and Alvin Kamara of the Saints is incomes $15 million. Derrick Henry of the Titans, Nick Chubb of the Browns and Joe Mixon of the Bengals every earn a minimum of $12 million in keeping with yr on their offers.
Barclay scoffed at a report last week that mentioned he sought $16 million yearly and has persisted to load social media accounts with photographs from his low season workout routines.
But he is also negotiating exhausting for each his private recreation and to pressure higher marketplace price for working backs, whose reasonable repayment has been declining.
“The trend right now is not to pay running backs, so everyone is like, ‘OK, we don’t have to do it either then,’” Chargers working again Austin Ekeler mentioned, including that it will take a height performer to carry out or signal a large long-term deal to opposite the rage.
Josh Jacobs of the Raiders and Tony Pollard of the Cowboys additionally failed to succeed in long-term offers with their groups and are anticipated to play below the franchise tag, the common wage of the highest 5 avid gamers at that participant’s place. The determine for working backs pales compared to the cash for quarterbacks ($32.4 million this yr), offensive linemen ($18.24 million) and even tight ends ($11.35 million).
What’s Next
If Barkley accepts the Giants’ tag, the 2 facets can’t negotiate a long-term deal till after the tip of the common season.
If he does not settle for the tag, Barkley can dangle out and no longer play. He would no longer be docked pay for lacking coaching camp dates however he would lose out on paychecks if he had been to take a seat out video games. The Giants may just additionally surrender the franchise tag, a extremely not likely transfer that might make Barkley an unrestricted loose agent.
The much more likely result: Barkley holds out quickly to make his displeasure identified however finally ends up reporting to camp. He has many times mentioned he’d love to retire as a Giant and shifted his illustration to facilitate negotiations. He is lately represented by way of Kim Miale of Roc Nation and Ed Perry of Creative Artists Agency.
When the common season is over, the Giants and Barkley can select up talks that can most probably lead to a deal getting performed. He has been a stabilizing persona in a locker room that has noticed 3 other head coaches in Barkley’s tenure, and the workforce’s reliance at the working assault of Barkley and quarterback Daniel Jones would possibly not be decreased any time quickly.