This Running Back Named as Free Agency Fit for Giants if Saquon Barkley Leaves
One of the biggest off-season debates involving the New York Giants has been centered around New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley, a pending free agent, and whether the team should bring him back.
General manager Joe Schoen told reporters that they haven't ruled out the franchise tag for the running back, but the feeling is that the Giants will not go that route. Meanwhile, Barkley has not wavered in stating his desire to remain a Giant for the rest of his career.
But what happens if the Giants and Barkley don't reach a deal that ensures the running back remains a Giant for life? FOX Sports reporters Greg Auman, Henry McKenna, and Eric Williams believe that if that were to happen, the Giants would be a good fit for Las Vegas running back Josh Jacobs, another pending unrestricted free agent.
“[Jacobs[ would certainly be more reliable than Barkley on the injury front,” the analysts argue in supporting their pick. “Plus, Jacobs can be a touchdown machine on the ground. He has two seasons with 12 rushing touchdowns.”
Letting Barkley walk just to give Jacobs a big contract wouldn’t make much sense for the team. Spotrac currently has Barkley’s APY value at $9.9 million and Jacobs's at $10.6 million. That's not much of a difference for two players who both had down years in 2023 and posted similar stats, each rushing for six touchdowns and under four yards per carry.
If the Giants aren’t willing to spend a lot at the running back position in general, they’d probably go for a value signing if Barkley were to leave for another team.
While Jacobs would be an interesting fit, the scenario is not realistic. Unless Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll love Jacobs way more than Barkley, the former Raiders star is unlikely to even get a sniff from the Giant if he hits the free-agent market.
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