Giants Country

Saquon Perfect for Dallas? That's What One ESPN Analyst Thinks

Mike Tannenbaum is back with yet another wild proposal, this time involving Giants running back Saquon Barkley's next team if he doesn't re-up with New York.
Patricia Traina|
Saquon Perfect for Dallas? That's What One ESPN Analyst Thinks
Saquon Perfect for Dallas? That's What One ESPN Analyst Thinks

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Former NFL general manager turned ESPN studio analyst Mike Tannenbaum, who suggested the Deshaun Watson for Daniel Jones trade last week, is back with another scenario that might make New York Giants fans groan just as loudly.

When asked on the latest Get Up edition where he could see Giants running back Saquon Barkley land in free agency if a deal isn't struck between the former Penn State star and the Giants, Tannenbaum immediately picked the Dallas Cowboys, whom he said would be a "perfect" fit with Barkley.

“Tony Pollard was mildly disappointing replacing Zeke Elliott. His production went down by about 25 percent...so when you're looking at free agency, the first thing you do is you say, 'If we're going to go outside our building, who can we get in the division to help us and hurt our opponent," Tannenbaum said.

"Trust me, the last thing the New York Giants want to see, if Saquon Barkley graduates this year, is him with a star on the side of his helmet. Can you imagine the first time Dallas rolls into town with Saquon as a Cowboy? And he would be perfect--he can catch, he can run, and I think his pass protection has gotten better.”

The Giants have indicated that they'd like to retain Barkley, but it doesn't sound like they're willing to use the franchise tag to do so this year, which they did last year. New York would have to allocate approximately $12 million to tag Barkley if the two sides don't get a deal done before the franchise tag window closes on March 5.

But just as was the case with Tannenbaum's Jones for Watson trade proposal between the Giants and Cleveland Browns, his thinking falls short if he truly believes the top driving force for a team's determining who to pursue in free agency should be to go after a player on an opponent's team to hurt them rather than to go best available.

This isn't to say that Barkley couldn't help the Cowboys. But for Tannenbaum to conclude a player would be a "perfect" fit just to spite a division opponent is probably not how most NFL general managers approach roster building in free agency. 

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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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