Giants Fans Vote: Can Giants Afford Both Barkley and McKinney and Still Improve the Roster?
The NFL free agency frenzy is set to commence next week, and the New York Giants' laundry list of roster needs hasn’t gotten any smaller. The debate regarding how the franchise should attack the holes amongst their ranks has only become more contested.
The Giants have yet to reach an agreement on a new long-term deal with running back Saquon Barkley, whose agents met with the team in Indianapolis at the NFL Combine over the weekend. They also have the issue of locking down safety Xavier McKinney, and that doesn’t even scratch the surface of other positions in question after a disappointing 2023 campaign.
No matter what avenue the team takes in addressing its needs, it will have to do so without the luxury of heavy cap space. According to Over the Cap, the Giants are projected to have an estimated $32.6 million in total cap space before the free-agent window opens on March 13. That number isn't much to work with if they hope to have at least one of Barkley or McKinney back for 2024 while addressing certain glaring needs such as offensive line and edge rusher, two premium positions.
Nonetheless, 49 percent of Giants fans who voted in a recent poll by Giants Country publisher Patricia Traina do not believe that the team can afford to bring back Barkley and McKinney and still be aggressive in the open market to add quality upgrades to the roster.
The response doesn’t come as a surprise. The Giants have unanswered questions at several spots along the offensive line, especially at right guard, where Mark Glowinski’s release has left a hole, and right tackle, where Evan Neal’s future hangs in the balance. They also need depth along the defensive line, secondary, and backfield, and they hold just seven picks to potentially target those areas via the draft.
The Barkley situation has drawn a split opinion, with some arguing that the Giants need a running game that Barkley can provide and that with a better offensive line, he'll be more effective, while others argue that the team needs to move on from the former Penn State star.
General manager Joe Schoen, who during the combine told reporters that he didn't rule out using the franchise tag on Barkley for a second year running, decided against doing so. This now means Barkley is free to explore the market and, assuming there was a handshake agreement between his side and the Giants, give the only pro team he's played for in his career a chance to match any offers he receives.
As for McKinney, who had been rumored to receive the transition tag, that didn't come to fruition either. The only logical conclusion is that the two sides are a gulf apart in how they perceive McKinney's value, and the Giants might be banking on potentially getting a comp pick in the 2025 draft if McKinney leaves for another team.
With just a few days remaining before the pre-free agency negotiating window opens, the Giants could still talk to both players' agents in the hopes of striking a deal. But it's probably unlikely they will, as Barkley and McKinney are certain to want to test the market to see what's out there, while Schoen is unlikely to hold a chunk of salary cap space aside while the players shop around.
Of the two players, Barkley seems to be the one most likely to return, given how he's consistently said he desires to be a Giant for life. Whether he returns remains to be seen, but it does appear almost a given that the Giants won't be able to afford both players, even if they attempt to open up additional salary cap space.
