The New York Giants and star working again Saquon Barkley are at a crossroads once more this offseason. The window to use the franchise tag to gamers headed totally free company opened this week now the dance begins.
Barkley is angling for a multi-year cope with ensures that may make him a Large for the foreseeable future. The Giants are wrestling with the thought of paying a working again enormous cash in a league wherein the place has been getting devalued with every passing season.
Final 12 months, the Giants slapped the tag on Barkley and ultimately got here to phrases on a modified one-year deal. This 12 months, the tag worth shall be roughly $12.1 million and Barkley will once more refuse to signal the tender which is able to ship each camps again to the negotiating desk.
WFAN hosts Evan Roberts and Tiki Barber each chimed in on how they imagine the Giants ought to deal with the scenario this time round.
“The New York Giants must hold Saquon Barkley,” Evan stated. “However let me begin off with the primary factor that saved leaping into my head. Oct. 31, 2023 that was the NFL commerce deadline. Let me ask you this, in the event that they couldn’t commerce Saquon Barkley on Oct. 30 and October 31, why months later?
“Wouldn’t it be OK to method let him stroll away for nothing? That looks as if an entire, utter contradiction. So, in my view, the Giants made their resolution on October 30. They didn’t commerce Saquon, they wouldn’t even pay attention on commerce gives. So what probably may have modified?”
Barber, a former All-Professional working again who’s the crew’s all-time main rusher, believes the Giants must look behind the numbers on the intrinsic worth Barkley brings to the franchise and its fan base.
“Saquon Barkley isn’t totally mandatory, however my emotion to Saquon is one thing that I feel loads of Large followers really feel and it’s, I like this child,” Tiki stated. “I cherished him when he got here in.
“He’s the right instance of a star participant that you’d need on this crew. So emotionally, you wish to maintain on to that man as a result of he’s an instance of fellows who’re the favourite participant on the crew, ending their careers as a Large or no matter crew it’s. . . I really feel like he must be that man.”
Each sentiments are legitimate. The Giants must weigh their choices right here as they’ve little or no wage cap room to suit all of their key personnel below one roof.
The Giants have till March 5 to position the franchise tag on Barkley. Free company begins on March 13.