As the analytical geniuses say, running the ball is becoming less critical in the NFL. However, everybody else is saying that the art of running the ball is as prevalent as ever, considering Derrick Henry and his stellar performance this season. The New York Giants haven’t enjoyed the same level of success with Saquon Barkley, who’s equally as talented if not more versatile.
The reason Barkley struggled in 2019 boils down to two factors — a high ankle sprain he suffered in week three, and a lackluster offensive line. At left tackle, Nate Solder graded out as one of the most inadequate in the NFL, and while right tackle Mike Remmers remained steady and serviceable, he’s nowhere near Tennessee tackle, Jack Conklin.
Conklin, who’s set to his the free agency market, earned a solid 78.0 overall grade, via PFF ( the analytics guys). Remmers landed at 64.3, which shows the difference in quality. At 6-foot-6, Conklin allowed just 9.5 total sacks in four years, which attests to his consistency on the line. This season, he allowed four total sacks, which is above his average, but he still contributed heavily towards one of the best rushing attacks in football.
On the other side of things… check out this pass set from Jack Conklin going against Vinny Curry. This looks soooooo much better than what we saw from him last year. Conklin has looked good in camp and that carried over in his brief appearance last night. pic.twitter.com/htPChZth1g
— Mike Herndon (@MikeHerndonNFL) August 9, 2019
The New York Giants will have to hand over the dough:
Coming off his rookie contract, Conklin is ready to cash in on a solid 2019 campaign. If the Giants want to content for his services, they will have to offer him a deal worth at least $15 million per season. At 25-years-old, he could be locked down by GM Dave Gettleman for the foreseeable future, giving the Giants a chance at an elite front five.
Factor in the potential release of Solder and the Giants could utilize their first-round pick on Andrew Thomas, top offensive tackle out of Georgia. While I don’t believe Solder is going anywhere, it ultimately comes down to Gettleman’s preference — building through the draft at OL or signing a proven free agent.
With $80+ million in cap-spae, I’m inclined to believe Gettleman will spend on a new tackle.
Spotrac’s market value indicator for Conklin:
Market Value
- 6 yrs, $90,163,388
- Avg. Salary:Â $15,027,231
- NFL Rank:Â 55
- RT Rank:Â 3