Giants Country

Bleacher Report's Pick for One Giant That Should Be Traded Before 2023 Season

Bleacher Report names this Giant as the player the team needs to consider moving before the season. We disagree.
Patricia Traina|
Bleacher Report's Pick for One Giant That Should Be Traded Before 2023 Season
Bleacher Report's Pick for One Giant That Should Be Traded Before 2023 Season

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New York Giants

Our friends at Bleacher Report recently compiled a list of one player every team should consider trading before the 2023 season. Predictably, that one player for the Giants is disgruntled running back Saquon Barkley.

Article author Kristopher Knox begins his argument by acknowledging that the Giants "probably aren't trading Pro Bowl running back Saquon Barkley," and he'd be correct in saying that, though not necessarily purely for the reason he followed up with, which is to make sure Daniel Jones succeeds.

Here then, is the rest of Knox's reasoning:

Barkley is set to play on the franchise tag this season, and there's no guarantee that the Giants can keep him beyond 2023. The timing is also right for a trade since Barkley proved that he is again healthy and a top-tier talent this past season. The situation could change between now and the trade deadline, given Barkley's lengthy injury history. He's been a Pro Bowler in his two healthy campaigns, but the 26-year-old has been hampered by ailments in his other three. Based on his 2022 performance, Barkley might yield a solid trade package now. The Panthers got 2023 second-, third- and fourth-round picks plus a 2024 fifth-rounder for Christian McCaffrey in October—though McCaffrey is under contract through 2025.

Knox is half correct in noting that if Barkley plays in the franchise tag this season, there are no guarantees that the Giants retain the running back beyond 2023--not unless, of course, the Giants tag Barkley again (a likely possibility if he balls out) and if they determine that they can address some of the other contracts they have coming up for renewal such as safety Xavier McKinney and defensive lineman Leonard Williams taken care of before the franchise tag deadline comes up.

Where I disagree with Knox is when he says the timing is right for a trade. The running back market has plummeted this year. The Cowboys released Zeke Elliott, and still hasn't found a home. Packers running back Aaron Jones recently took a pay cut. The Vikings are reportedly ready to move on from Dalvin Cook.

The bottom line? Running backs don't seem to be as highly valued as they maybe once were years ago, Christian McCaffrey being the exception. And in that case, one might argue that the 49ers believed they were one running back away from making a championship push, which they almost succeeded in doing last year.

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But back to Barkley and the argument that the time is right to move him. For that to happen, the acquiring team would likely need to work out a new multiyear contract with the running back, which, again, given how the market for the position has gone, will probably not result in Barkley's getting what he is looking for.

Then there is the matter of compensation. Given Barkley's skillset and production capabilities, does anyone think that the Giants will accept anything less than a first-round pick? 

Remember, if another team signs Barkley, the franchise tag carries two first-round picks as compensation. So it's not totally out of the question for the Giants if they are entertaining visions of moving Barkley, of wanting at least one first-round pick in exchange for the running back.

Knox further theorizes that if Barkley gets hurt, his value would not only plummet (true), but the Giants "have depth in Matt Breida, Gary Brightwell and rookie fifth-rounder Eric Gray. If they get an enticing trade offer, they have to at least entertain it."

He is correct in saying that if Barkley gets hurt again, all bets are off. That's the biggest unknown factor in this equation. But where this part of Knox's argument falls short is in his failure to acknowledge that Breida is only signed for one more year, Brightwell is not a lock for the roster (he'll compete with Jashaun Corbin, who isn't even mentioned here) and Gray, who although a productive college player, has yet to take an NFL snap.

While it's certainly possible that Gray might be able to do all the things that Barkley can do, does it make sense for general manager Joe Schoen to create a giant-sized hole on the roster when it's not necessary right now?

There's one more argument to be made here about why moving Barkley doesn't make sense. The Giants were, of course, a surprise playoff team last year. They are looking to build off that season and maybe advance a little further, win a few more games, and continue turning around their fortunes. 

A team doesn't do that by trading away one of its best players, who is also a leader in the locker room and one of the more solid citizens on and off the field. Trading away Barkley could send the wrong kind of message to the locker room, and that's probably something neither Schoen nor head coach Brian Daboll wants or need right now. 

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Patricia Traina
PATRICIA TRAINA

Patricia Traina has covered the New York Giants for 30+ seasons, and her work has appeared in multiple media outlets, including The Athletic, Forbes, Bleacher Report, and the Sports Illustrated media group. As a credentialed New York Giants press corps member, Patricia has also covered five Super Bowls (three featuring the Giants), the annual NFL draft, and the NFL Scouting Combine. She is the author of The Big 50: The Men and Moments that Made the New York Giants. In addition to her work with New York Giants On SI, Patricia hosts the Locked On Giants podcast. Patricia is also a member of the Pro Football Writers of America and the Football Writers Association of America.

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