Getty Image / Tim McIsaac
I don’t think anyone would argue against Saquon Barkley being one of the best playmakers in the NFL. But, the New York Giants running back has been stifled by being in a terrible situation with Big Blue.
Thankfully, that looks like it’s going to come to an end. After playing the 2023 season on the franchise tag, that doesn’t seem to be likely this year.
This, according to a report by ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The Giants will speak with free-agent-to-be running back Saquon Barkley and explore a deal with him, but they are also unlikely to tag him for $12,109,200, per sources.
That means, Barkley is likely going to be a member of one of the most star-studded free agent running back classes in recent memory.
Shaping up to be one of the strongest RB free agent classes ever. At least in terms of name value:
1. Saquon Barkley
2. Josh Jacobs
3. Derrick Henry
4. Austin Ekeler
5. Tony Pollard
6. D'Andre Swift
7. JK Dobbins (Achilles)
8. Antonio Gibson
9. Zack Moss
10. Devin Singletary
11.…— Adam Levitan (@adamlevitan) February 26, 2024
Yeah, that’s pretty star-studded.
I admittedly might be biased, as I went to Penn State with Saquon Barkley. But, especially given Derrick Henry’s age and tread on the tires, Barkley is the prize of the class. He’s already put up good numbers for the New York Giants in his career.
Barkley has averaged roughly 100 yards from scrimmage per game in the NFL. That’s an impressive number by itself. But, when you factor in the downright dreadful offenses he’s had to play in, it becomes even more impressive.
He will play the entire season at just 27-years-old, with not a lot of carries in his career. He should be very attractive to teams in the market for a game-changing running back.
Who could those teams be? I think the Houston Texans are definitely a team that will consider signing Saquon Barkley to pair with CJ Stroud. That would give him another bona fide playmaker and someone who can be an upgrade over Devin Singletary.
The Los Angeles Chargers are another team that I could see pursuing Saquon Barkley. Austin Ekeler was downright awful last year. You may not have noticed just how bad he was because the Chargers were a disaster. But, he was terrible.
Either way, hopefully we get to see the full potential of one of the league’s most electrifying players on full display.