As the franchise window opens, it doesn’t seem like the Giants will tag Saquon Barkley.
Is it appropriate for general manager Joe Schoen to place Barkley on the franchise tag for a second straight season? What effects might that have on their relationship? And are the Giants willing to invest $12.1 million in a running back with a 100% guarantee?
Although there is a lot of disagreement over each of those issues, they will all eventually have answers. Some people think it’s crucial to keep Barkley in East Rutherford. Some, like Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News, think Barkley should be allowed to go and succeed somewhere else, and the Giants should let him go.
On March 13, they ought to allow Barkley to become a free agent. Barkley doesn’t think he can be their Christian McCaffrey; therefore, they should let him try to be someone else’s.
It would be best for both the athlete and the team to part ways.
Barkley did the right thing for the Giants last season when he didn’t have to, so letting him walk free would be the right thing to do. With his age and mileage of 27, it would allow him to determine his actual worth on the open market before it permanently depreciates.
Moreover, it would present Barkley with an opportunity to prevail.
The New York Post’s Paul Schwartz, a frequent Giants press secretary, believes Schoen won’t use the franchise tag on Barkley this time. And not because they see him as a broken-down car on a failing frame, as Leonard suggested, but rather because they want to give him another shot to succeed somewhere.
The Giants are not anticipated to spend $12 million of their salary budget on a single running back, especially because they probably believe he is declining.
According to research done at the position by the Giants, most running backs may continue to improve through the age of 26. After hit number 27, most hitters start to fall off a cliff. Barkley was 27 on February 9th.
Throughout his career, Barkley has struggled with injuries; last season, an ankle sprain kept him out of three more games. One season after recording career-high marks, he fell short of surpassing 1,000 running yards.
The Giants have nevertheless consistently stated in public that they hope to retain Barkley in the long run. He has expressed similar opinions, but he has also admitted that he has considered playing somewhere else.