New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley is set to be a free agent and there are a lot of teams that would like to sign him. A few teams that would love to get his hands on him are the Dallas Cowboys, the Los Angeles Chargers, and the Baltimore Ravens.
All three of those teams have a need of a top running back. Barkley played on the franchise tag a season ago for the Giants. He rushed for 962 yards on 247 carries and six touchdowns last season, along with averaging 3.9 yards per carry. Saquon Barkley also caught 41 passes for 280 yards receiving and four touchdowns, along with averaging 6.8 yards per reception.
He has been with the franchise since his rookie season in 2018. Barkley is 27 years old. Giants general manager Joe Schoen spoke to the media on Tuesday at the NFL Combine about Barkley’s future with the franchise. He told NFL Network’s Andrew Siliciano by saying:
“I wouldn’t say the franchise tag is off the table.”
That is a very interesting statement made by the general manager. This would be the second consecutive season it would happen if it was applied. The Giants would not be able to use it again if they used the franchise tag on Saquon Barkley.
New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen’s Comments on How Saquon Barkley Is Valuable
Trying to bring Barkley back for the 2024 season can very well be high on Schoen’s list. When healthy, Barkley is still one of the top five running backs in the league. Joe Schoen told Siliciano on Tuesday morning by saying:
“I think the world of Saquon and still think he can play.”
Schoen also told him about they plan on speaking with his agent later this week by saying:
“There’s nothing new on that front. He’s a guy we’d like to have back.”
It is going to be very interesting to see how talks go with Joe Schoen and Barkley’s agent. It is possible that other NFL teams will offer more money than the Giants. If they don’t bring back Barkley next season, the Giants will have to find someone else in free agency or use the NFL Draft to find his replacement.