The New York Giants have been relatively active (on the low end) thus far during free agency, and that’s not likely to change before the 2022 NFL draft.
The Giants need to create cap space for incoming draftees, which is why there has been much talk about cornerback James Bradberry. He isn’t the only one potentially on the trading block, though, as general manager Joe Schoen has said he’s “open to anything,” including trading star running back Saquon Barkley.
The last two seasons have been tough for Barkley. At the beginning of the 2020 season, he was carted off the field during a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. It would be revealed that he tore his ACL and was done for the season after just two games.
In 2021, the Giants picked up the fifth-year of Barkley’s contract, but he struggled on the field. Maybe it was the pandemic, maybe it was battling ankle issues, maybe it was sharing time with Devontae Booker or maybe it was a combination of everything. Regardless of the reason, it’s not hard to see why Schoen might be interested in trading Barkley.
Still, it’s hard to justify. If you look at the Giants scoring since Barkley joined the team, you will see that he accounts for over 25% of the teams scoring when he’s on the field. That’s a lot of scoring to give up, not to mention the way other defenses have to prepare for a threat like Barkley. Given the teams inability to get to the end zone in 2021, losing a guy like Barkley hurts.
And that’s why the Giants may not be seriously considering a Barkley trade.
From what I’ve been hearing, btw, I don’t get the impression #Giants are seriously considering trading RB Saquon Barkley. At least not right now.
All about James Bradberry at the moment. https://t.co/CKYd0vLzfS
— Zack Rosenblatt (@ZackBlatt) March 26, 2022
That said, the entire Giants’ front office is brand new. It’s not a secret that the team needs to rebuild after years of prior management gaffes and guffaws. Could that include Barkley? Sounds like it definitely could. Is it likely? Probably not.
The Giants are already devoid of talent — particularly game-changing talent — so while trading Barkley may clear cap space, it creates another need and only further depletes the roster.
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