Depending on what your perspective is, the news that the Giants and Saquon Barkley were unable to reach a deal is either surprising or unsurprising. There are no winners here, only disappointment.
This NY Giants blog is not surprised. While we thought they’d reach a deal, we certainly were not caught off guard by a gap in compensation that could not be bridged. Remember, Barkley and his camp were in denial about his reduced value when the Giants were mistakenly bidding too high before being forced to tag him. Barkley was anchored to a higher price that was always unachievable and unrealistic.
Barkley has intangibles. He’s loved inside and outside (fans) the organization. Yet all of that love and leadership don’t translate when you’re hurt. And Barkley is often hurt.
After Barkley was tagged, Ezekiel Elliot was cut. Sanders only got $6.25M. Dalvin Cook was cut. Mixon took $5.5M. It was a RB implosion.
Blaming the Giants for this impasse shows no understanding of what is happening. We outlined with impeccable accuracy (sorry, not sorry) the ridiculousness of positional value for Running Back in the NFL in 2020. Three years later it’s only gotten more stark how right we were and how much denial everyone else is experiencing to suggest otherwise.
Hold no sympathy for Saquon. For losing he’ll have to accept $10.1M on the tag.
Should Barkley be payed more? No. Not in today’s market. You can get 80% of the production of a top tier QB often for something approaching a Round 2 rookie contract ($2M per). Name me another position where you can say that. I’m waiting. Who is going to pay SB more than 8/yr? No one.
Sadly, we’ll see the ego of these spurned FB players on display with the no-show at camp. This is what I call “cutting your nose to spite your face.” I get it that no one likes training camp but it’s part of the job to get into the playbook, help yourself and help others on your team. Now. In July. Well before opening day. Barkley is a good team first guy. Yet he will be told to skip Camp. Awful. No winners.
Will Barkley show up for Week 1? Consensus is yes. He will simply not get a lot of snaps if he shows up that way. Collect your game check. Pffft. Look for a lot more of the rookie RB Eric Gray.
Right now the Giants could sign Cook for a fraction, pull the tag, and Barkley would be a UFA. Who is paying more than $8M for Barkley? If I’m the Giants, I want him in camp and would tell him to get to camp else he’s at risk. Others think this isn’t likely, and I agree. I just think that camp is really important because it’s about getting repetition, timing, flow, and your body ready for optimum health. I don’t have data on this but I believe the injury risk in the first 4 weeks is greater for someone who’s missed camp.
Please remember that Schoen is doing exactly what he needs to do. He needs to protect his cap. If he gave more to every player he’d be at a disadvantage in assembling the talent he needs. I fully endorse what Schoen is doing. He’s the anti-Gettleman. He’s not in full bloom love with anybody, especially high priced RBs.
Schoen can’t help it. I can’t help it… Isaiah Pacheco (sorry, not sorry, nailed this one too last October) is the latest in a long line of Super Bowl RBs to be a cheap answer for competitiveness. Confront the Brutal Facts.
I read an interesting idea- RBs should be capped at a 3 year deal when they enter the NFL. This protects their window for that second contract when they have a combination of experience, known talent, and YOUNGER age to get paid. Also, don’t allow this position to get tagged. I think the RB market is weak enough as it is to be hurt further by the protections put on the other positions out there that need it. Barkley will be long gone from the NFL by the time any CBA reform is seen. RBs playing professional football from 2015 to 2030 have not picked a good time to be playing. But I’m not holding a benefit for Barkley, who is still getting $10M to play football.
What will help Barkley? Show up at camp. Practice with team. Get reps in the 2023 Kafka scheme. Stay healthy. Win a Super Bowl. Become the first high priced RB in 10 years to get a ring. You have every right to show up at Week 1. That is not going to endear me to your cause. Take your losses, show up at camp and collect your $10M.