There has been plenty of news and chatter surrounding NFL running backs lately. The players at the position feel as though they are undervalued, as teams around the league are wary of giving big money to some big name feature backs. One of the most high-profile of the players has been Saquon Barkley of the New York Giants, who finally got a deal done on Tuesday.
Saquon Barkley Gets 1-Year Deal But Was Almost Traded
𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭: The #Giants tried to trade RB Saquon Barkley in March after they franchise tagged him, per Mike Florio.
“Per multiple sources, the Giants called a dozen teams in an effort to find a potential trade partner, back in the March/April time frame.”
“The calls came at… pic.twitter.com/1NO6ueOAE5
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) July 25, 2023
It may not be the long-term deal and security that he was looking for, but the new contract will keep Barkley in New York for at least another season. The deal is for 1 year and is worth just over $10 million in guarantees, with incentives that could boost the value up to $11 million.
Striking a deal at the start of training camp was important to Barkley. He wants to be known as a team-first player, and he was in the building bright and early on Tuesday after getting his deal done. But as ProFootballTalk’s Mike Florio reports, Barkley was almost not a part of the team at all.
Back in the March/April window, the Giants apparently tried to trade Saquon Barkley. Florio says that the team made calls to a dozen teams in order to gauge the interest from around the league, though there were no takers. The calls came at the request of Barkley’s representation.
Barkley Had A Bounce Back Year In 2022
Surprise! 🚨 🚨 🚨
The #Giants and star RB Saquon Barkley agreed to terms on a new 1-year deal worth up to $11M, sources say, as Barkley gives himself a chance to beat the franchise tag. He gets a $2M signing bonus.
Bottom line: Barkley is coming in & will be at training camp. pic.twitter.com/A5PR7RWLfQ
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 25, 2023
It stands to reason that the team is still open to trading Barkley if the right deal comes across the table, though it is not a good sign that the team was unable to find any takers the first time. But much of the hold up with the original negotiations may have been money related, as Barkley was reportedly looking for a deal somewhere in the $15 million per year range.
Saquon Barkley had a bounce back season in 2022. After starting his career with a bang in his first two years, Barkley struggled with injuries and lack of production in 2020 and 2021. But he played in 16 games last year and put up a career high 1312 yards, and added 10 touchdowns as both the player and his team enjoyed a resurgence under their new head coach and management.
The Giants are currently listed at +7500 to win the Super Bowl, which is near the bottom of the list, tied with the Falcons and Rams in that regard.
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