Mandatory Credit Photo: ©Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports / ©Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports / ©Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports
(East Rutherford, NJ) – In recent days, reports emerged suggesting the New York Giants are unlikely to place the franchise tag on star running back Saquon Barkley – which the team opted to do last offseason.
With another year of wear and tear on Barkley’s body, all while the Giants’ offense continued to sputter as an overall unit, it would seem GM Joe Schoen wants to use his draft capital on positions other than RB. But then Schoen spoke at the scouting combine in Indianapolis and said flat out the franchise tag is an option.
It’s smart to always take what NFL GMs say with a grain of salt, but it’s also worth noting that both things can be true: chances are the Giants front office has people on both sides of the issue. Barkley, a team captain, likely retains value above and beyond what a replacement player would bring. That said, this offseason highlights how RB value has diminished in recent years – names like Derrick Henry, Austin Ekeler, Tony Pollard, Josh Jacobs, and D’Andre Swift could all be on the open market.
While the Giants hold their own internal discussions about Barkley and other potential free agents, the player is making his own moves. Reports now say Barkley has prioritized the Houston Texans in his search for a big contract. He’s apparently in contact with Texans’ QB CJ Stroud, according to reporter Aaron Wilson, who has covered the team for NBC’s affiliate in Houston as well as the Houston Chronicle.
On top of that, a report from Ryan Dunleavy this week in the New York Post noted the Texans have a lot of salary cap room to work with, and GM Nick Caserio may be open to spending big for a RB. In fact, Dunleavy went so far as to suggest Barkley could be his target.
While Caserio is from the Bill Belichick school of roster construction, and would typically eschew paying a premium for running backs, that may not be the case here. Because Stroud is on his rookie contract – as are wide receivers Tank Dell and Nico Collins – Caserio may feel he has the cap flexibility to make signing Barkley a luxury that he can afford.
