Saquon Barkley Should Take Deal Offered by Deadline, Says National Insider
As the July 17 deadline for NFL teams to strike long-term contracts with their franchise players approaches, questions continue to fly regarding whether the New York Giants and running back Saquon Barkley can reach an agreement that is a win-win for both sides in time.
The good news is that the Giants and Barkley’s representative continue to discuss making that happen, as confirmed by NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport.
The negotiations are likely to wind down to the eleventh hour, mainly because Barkley’s side probably doesn’t want to settle too soon at the risk of leaving money on the table, the smart approach to negotiating.
But if the two sides don’t make enough progress toward closing the gap before the deadline expires, SI.com’s Albert Breer has some sage advice for the running back.
Take whatever money is on the table above the franchise tag by the deadline and run.
The reality of the situation is that all the protesting in the world isn’t going to change any of this, and history hasn’t favored the back who’s gambled on himself. So, yes, Saquon, Josh (Jacobs), and Tony (Pollard) draw hard lines over the next month. Push your agent to keep pushing the team to make concessions and sweeten your deal. But don’t do anything to jeopardize the money that you have worked so hard to earn.
Breer also notes that very few running backs get a chance at signing a second, more lucrative contract.
He noted that there are six running backs on multiyear deals at eight figures per year, all players who signed with their original team after their third season, and that only two running backs over the last ten years (Shady McCoy and Le’Veon Bell) have had success with megadeals once moving on from the team that initially drafted them.
Barkley, entering his sixth NFL season, has an injury history that he’s hopefully put behind him for good after making it through his first full season without missing time due to an injury since his rookie campaign.
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While Barkley might relish gambling on himself as far as his annual production, it’s still a risk that would be foolish to take if he decides any offer the Giants put on the table between now and the deadline still isn’t good enough.
Barkley wants and deserves to be paid what he feels he’s worth. The problem is that very few people, regardless of their profession, can honestly say they’re being paid what they’re worth.
If Barkley accepts the Giants’ best offer by the deadline despite not being what he feels he’s worth, it might look like he’s settling. It might look like he caved or lacks confidence in himself.
But the smart thing to do, given that few NFL running backs have long, productive shelf lives, is to cash in on a second contract that could put him in the top-five highest-paid at his position.
If he outplays the deal and stays healthy, the two sides can always talk again if they still want each other.
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