How Saquon Barkley Trade Would 'Change Dynamic' of Buffalo Bills Offense
Is it time for Saquon Barkley to play for a New York team?
The running back currently makes his living in New Jersey with the New York Giants but could be a name to keep an eye on with Big Blue sinking further into oblivion and the Oct. 31 trade deadline looming. Barkley has maintained and reiterated loyalty to the Giants (1-5) but their hand could be forced, especially with Barkley set to become a free agent next year after already playing on a $10 million franchise tag.
ESPN analyst Ryan Clark believes the Buffalo Bills should take advantage of the Giants' predicament and inquire about a deal. The suggestion comes shortly after Barkley and the Giants visited Orchard Park last Sunday night, as he picked up 93 yards on 24 carries in a 14-9 Buffalo victory. It was his first game back after a three-game departure due to an ankle injury.
"Saquon Barkley is a difference-maker," Clark said on the Friday edition of "Get Up!" "You add him with a guy like Josh Allen and a team that seems so focused on getting the ball to Stefon Diggs and no one else, you totally change the dynamic of that offense and you bring a little bit of the explosivity that we see out of Josh Allen in the pass game to the run game."
Barkley (26) picked up 93 yards on 24 carries in Sunday's showdown
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Despite Sunday's win, the Bills' offense sputtered to the tune of just 297 yards of offense. Beyond Diggs and Gabe Davis, no one on the Western New York ledger has more than 200 yards receiving. James Cook, to his credit, has succeeded in his first year of primary rushing duties, averaging 4.8 yards a carry and standing as the third-ranked receiver at 140.
Acquiring Barkley, however, would undoubtedly turn Buffalo into the AFC's most potential-packed offense, only fully worthy of kicking the Kansas City Chiefs from their perch. Buffalo has shown more of a commitment to the run in an attempt to lighten Allen's load. The Bills have also lost one of their depth options, Damien Harris, to a neck injury in Sunday's win. He was placed on short-term injured reserve Friday.
When he's healthy, Barkley is one of the most explosive talents in the league: he led the NFL in all-purpose yardage in 2018 and finished seventh in the same category last year (1.650). Since arriving as the second overall pick in 2018, however, his talents have been mostly wasted on dreary Giants teams, with the exception of a run to last season's NFC Divisional.
Even with that relative lack of big-game experience, some believe that he could help a contender get over the Divisional/conference title game hurdle. The hardest part, frankly, could be convincing Barkley to rescind his lasting loyalty to the Giants and accept a chance to play for a championship.
In the meantime, the Bills (4-2) will go into battle with Allen, Cook, Diggs, and more in tow for an AFC East matchup against the New England Patriots on Sunday (1 p.m. ET, CBS) at Gillette Stadium.
