SAQUON BARKLEY AND THE GIANTS LOOK TO STRIKE a DEAL AFTER a SUPRISE SUCCESSFUL SEASON
(Matt Rourke/AP)
After Saturday’s blowout 7-38 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, the front office for the New York Giants focus shift completely to rebuilding the rooster. The Giants finished the regular season with a 9-7-1 record and reached the divisional round of the playoffs. This outcome far exceeded any preseason expectations. A rebuild season is what the majority of the media and fans thought the Giants were heading into. The unexpected success will now make Giant’s General Manager, Joe Schoen, shift how to operate this off season.
The Giants did have some standout names in some positions like quarterback Daniel Jones who with his play seems to just have bought himself a new contract with the Giants. Joe Schoen will have a lot of work to do as 18 Giants players will become free agents this off-season. Saquon Barkley the former overall second pick in the 2018 NFL draft bet on himself this season as injuries kept him from playing at a superstar level in previous seasons. Coming into the league Saquon won offensive rookie of the year as he showed he was worth the high pick. With so many highlights and a juggernaut of a running back, injuries would keep him from playing that level for the past two season.
Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post
The Giants picked up Saquon’s fifth-year option for the season, but now with the salary cap in mind and other players to resign and positions to strengthen what will be the deal to keep Saquon a Giant. The two did try to make a deal earlier in the season, but Saquon declined it around November and decided to resume talks in the offseason. For fans this is a negative look to not get a deal done, but it seems more than likely some sort of deal will get done. As Barkley has stated before he wants to, “be a Giant for life”. From a fan view just give him anything he asks for. Saquon collected over 1,600 total yards, 10 touchdowns and a spot on the pro bowl roster this year. Even if numbers can be argued with, watching Giants play this season Saquon Barkely carried the offense for the early half of the season.
HC Brain Daboll and GM Joe Schoen both know that a large portion of the success this season was because of Saquon. Any decision to be made of course comes down to Saquon and after the Eagles loss Barkley said “I can’t envision that being my last time in a Giants uniform,” once again putting emphasis that he wants to stay. If Giants wants to build on to their success they know what they have to do.
