One of the biggest questions for the New York Giants this offseason is when they will see star running back Saquon Barkley.
“You have to ask him,” Giants general manager Joe Schoen said at his pre-draft press conference on Thursday. “I’m not sure. I don’t know what his plan is.”
The 2022 Pro Bowl selection is not attending the team’s voluntary workout sessions this spring, has yet to sign his $10.1 million franchise tender, and doesn’t intend to “anytime soon.”
The Giants, on the other hand, don’t appear to be in any hurry to work out a new deal with him, either.
“Nothing has changed since we talked, whatever that was, three weeks ago, four weeks ago,” Schoen said. “Nothing has changed since we talked at the owner’s meetings. . . When we had the conversations with Saquon, it was known that we were going to get to a certain point, and then we were going to move on and regroup at some other time.”
The truth is Barkley cannot attend workouts until he has either signed the tender or a new contract extension.
There are two dates to keep in mind when it comes to this situation: June 13, when the Giants open their mandatory minicamp which Barkley would be fined should he miss it. The other is July 17, the deadline for a franchise-tagged player to sign a multi-year contract extension.
If Barkley and the Giants don’t reach an agreement by that date, he can only sign a one-year franchise contract that cannot be extended until after the Giants’ final regular season game.
With the 2023 NFL draft coming up next week, one has to wonder if the Giants are seeking other options. Sure, Barkley is only 26 and still has gas left in the tank, but would the Giants look to ‘take him out’ with a rookie or a ‘committee’ approach?
Anything is possible.
Although the Giants have had some very kind things to say about Barkley and co-owner John Mara has said he’d like Barkley to be a Giant “for life,” the partnership could be waning.
Schoen was asked if he would consider drafting a running back at next week’s NFL draft.
“There are players at all positions that are in the mix at 25, and I’m not going to rule any position out,” he said.
Schoen was asked his thoughts on Texas’ Bijan Robinson, considered by many to be the top back in this year’s draft class.
“I think there are several good backs in the draft,” he said. “And again, if it’s a good player and a team decides to take them, and they have success for their system, then I don’t think you can go wrong with taking good football players. I don’t want to pigeonhole myself into saying I would never take a certain position in the first round. It’s a good running back class. It’s got some depth to it, and Bijan is a good player.”
Robinson is likely to be on the board when the Giants are on the clock at No. 25. It is unlikely, however, they will use that pick on a running back. Should Robinson still be on the board in the second round when the Giants pick at No. 57, it will be interesting to see if all this ‘value’ talk about prospects is for real.
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