Giants coach Brian Daboll tried to preempt any questions about Saquon Barkley on day one of mandatory minicamp Monday.
“Relative to — I know you’re probably going to ask Saquon questions — my position hasn’t changed on that from a couple weeks ago,” Daboll said before practice. “Every conversation I have about Saquon will be private.”
That doesn’t fly now, though, because Barkley said Sunday at his AMPT Events kids’ football camp in Jersey City that his problem is the Giants didn’t keep their negotiations private.
“We say ‘family business is family business’ in that facility, in that building, and I’m gonna stick to that,” Barkley said. “The thing I’m frustrated most about is, like how I said ‘family business is family business,’ and then sources come out and stories get leaked, and it didn’t come from me ... I feel like it’s trying to paint a narrative of me, a picture of me that’s not even the truth. It’s not even close to being true.”
When Daboll realized he was still going to receive questions on Barkley despite his opening statement, he put his head and hunched his shoulders and stuck to the script.
He was asked if it’s a concern that Barkley feels that way.
“Everything that I have to say about Saquon will remain private,” Daboll said.
He was asked if he’s preparing for the possibility of Barkley holding out once training camp comes.
“I’m just planning for today to have a good practice,” he said.
Asked if it could become a distraction, the coach reiterated: “I’m just focused on today.”
The most noteworthy comment he made was his answer to why running back values are down in the modern NFL.
“I don’t know,” Daboll said. “I think each year’s different.”
Barkley obviously feels like just because this is a new year doesn’t make him any less valuable to the team.
The bottom line came down to this question and answer.
“Is everybody here?” a reporter said.
“Everybody except Saquon,” Daboll said.
He hasn’t signed his franchise tag tender. So he’s not on the roster or eligible to show up or be fined for his absence.
There is no telling how long this will drag on, either.
