Could the New York Giants trade Saquon Barkley?
Saquon Barkley is in his fifth year in the NFL with the New York Giants. Because of the team’s situation, could he be traded this year? The much-anticipated return of Saquon Barkley has gone very well so far.
The fifth-year player has 317 rushing yards, two rushing touchdowns, and is averaging six yards per carry. He ranks second in the NFL in yards and looks to be back to his old self. There is no denying that Barkley is one of the most talented runners in football.
Saquon Barkley could be a highly desirable NFL trade candidate in 2022
The New York Giants are fortunate to have him, but they’re in a bit of an interesting situation. They recently turned a new page this year, hiring Joe Shoen to be the new General Manager, and Brian Daboll to be the new head coach.
Both are former Buffalo guys, so it’s obvious what the Giants want to do. They’re off to a solid 2-1 start, but it’s clear that their team needs some work. The offensive line could use more help, the receivers need some boost, and most importantly, it seems like Daniel Jones is not the answer.
It’s clear that the Giants are needing to add some serious talent to their offense if they want to finally be a competitive team. Barkley is perhaps their best weapon, but he’s a running back. To make matters a bit more interesting, he’s a free agent at the end of his season.
He’s playing 2022 on his fifth-year option. Many across the NFL fanbase and world understand why paying running backs a ton of money could be a bad idea. The shelf life for running backs is shorter than most positions, and it’s clear that some running back contracts have blown up in the faces of the teams that signed them.
It’s also not a super valuable position. Teams can find star running backs in the mid-rounds of drafts, so there’s no need to invest in one with a high draft pick. Also, take a look at the teams who have won the Super Bowl recently. Virtually none of them are paying significant capital to the position.
Sure, it’s nice to have a good running back, but it’s abundantly clear that it’s not a position that teams need to prioritize to win the Super Bowl. So, with the Giants needing to rebuild more, re-signing Saquon Barkley would be a mistake.
They need draft capital just in case they need to chase a quarterback, and Barkley could give them that. Teams who are preparing and trying to make a Super Bowl run might be more willing to trade for his services.
Teams like the Rams, Bills, Dolphins, and Ravens all could use a boost at running back and could swing a trade for Saquon Barkley if they really wanted to. It might not happen, as the Giants might see this differently, but I have a hard time believing that they’d sincerely invest likely $10+ million per year for a running back who has had some injuries.