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 at no cost company opened this week now the dance begins.
Barkley is angling for a multi-year cope with ensures that can make him a Large for the foreseeable future. The Giants are wrestling with the thought of paying a working again large cash in a league by which 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 value will likely 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 consider the Giants ought to deal with the scenario this time round.
“The New York Giants should maintain Saquon Barkley,” Evan mentioned. “However let me begin off with the primary factor that stored 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?
“Would it not be OK to method let him stroll away for nothing? That looks like a whole, utter contradiction. So, for my part, the Giants made their resolution on October 30. They didn’t commerce Saquon, they wouldn’t even hear on commerce presents. So what presumably may have modified?”
Barber, a former All-Professional working again who’s the staff’s all-time main rusher, believes the Giants should look behind the numbers on the intrinsic worth Barkley brings to the franchise and its fan base.
“Saquon Barkley shouldn’t be absolutely vital, however my emotion to Saquon is one thing that I feel a variety of Large followers really feel and it’s, I really like this child,” Tiki mentioned. “I cherished him when he got here in.
“He’s the right instance of a star participant that you’d need on this staff. 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 staff, ending their careers as a Large or no matter staff it’s. . . I really feel like he must be that man.”
Each sentiments are legitimate. The Giants should weigh their choices right here as they’ve little or no wage cap room to suit all of their key personnel underneath one roof.
The Giants have till March 5 to put the franchise tag on Barkley. Free company begins on March 13.