The New York Giants have begun their exile of players as new management attempts to get below the salary cap, having started the off-season with -$12 million. Both Kyle Rudolph and Devontae Booker were released on Wednesday, saving the team approximately $7 million, bringing them closer to their goal but still far off from the $40 million Joe Schoen needs to operate smoothly.
Schoen indicated on Tuesday during the NFL Combine that he’s open to any deal regarding players, whether it be via trade or player-for-player swap. Specifically, regarding Saquon Barkley, the team has a big decision to make — keep him on a $7.2 million deal or trade him for draft capital now.
If Barkley ends up balling out in 2022, the Giants face a tough situation, since they don’t want to sign him to a lucrative deal given his injury history and positional value. That would suggest that the Giants’ best mode of action is to extract any value they can at this point in time, however, reports have indicated the asking price is “significant.”
According to Jordan Schultz, Schoen isn’t simply looking to dump his contract, he’s trying to get back the 1st round pick the Giants initially invested in him, which sounds outlandish. After amassing over 2,000 all-purpose yards during his rookie season, Barkley has failed to reach expectations, mainly due to injuries and porous offensive schematics/offensive line play.
Spoke with two teams, both of whom told me the #Giants’ potential asking price for Saquon Barkley was very significant. One assistant GM also said: “I don’t get the sense they actually want to trade him. To me, this is just postering, but Joe [Schoen] would want a 1.”
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) March 2, 2022
Another team could bring the best out of Saquon, but spending $7.2 million on a player one year removed from an ACL tear is a risk. Nonetheless, a team that has the salary space and feels as though a premium running back is their missing piece to a championship could call on the Giants to provide.
Looking at the situation realistically, there’s no chance Schoen brings back a 1st rounder, but asking for a luxurious amount is a good negotiation tactic. If you were a Schoen and asked for a 3rd round pick for Barkley, you may get a 4th or 5th in return, but asking for a 1st, you could possibly extract a 3rd. It’s all about perceived value and presenting an argument for that price — however, anyone with half a brain could figure out Barkley in the final year of his rookie deal is not exactly a valuable asset for the long-term.