LAS VEGAS — In the case of Saquon Barkley and the Giants, the most complicated contract negotiation has the simplest solution.
The Giants should take Barkley at his word and leave his value to the free agent market with a handshake agreement to put the best offer back on the table before signing elsewhere. Sources say haggling is over over whether it’s worth the roughly $23 million guaranteed in the highest three-year contract the Giants offered, or slightly more than what Barkley was seeking. Let’s stop.
This means that Barkley cannot receive a second franchise tag before the March 5 deadline to prevent him from negotiating with other teams. There is no draining $12.1 million charge on the Giants’ salary cap. There will be no more tension if the two sides fail to agree on a multi-year deal when they meet later this month.
“I’m not against it,” Barkley told the Post when he proposed the hypothetical scenario in an exclusive interview during Super Bowl V. “That’s fair.”
As long as the Giants have faith in Barkley, Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll will still be the ones making the final decisions in this important year. Keep their best playmaker on the NFL’s third-lowest scoring offense, or move on from a running back with a history of injuries. Friday is 27 years old as analysis suggests decline is near.
“They know where I want to be,” Barkley said. “The owners told me they wanted me to be a Giant for the rest of my life. Last year I gave it my all. I had work to do, and I couldn’t complete it.”
If they’re right about Barkley’s value, the Giants could match or exceed his best offer and keep his 2024 salary cap below the tag. Or they could try to let Barkley walk and say he was out of their price range. The alternative is to rotate in younger, cheaper backs to free up funds for other pressing needs.
If Barkley is wrong, the Giants could re-sign him for less than expected.
“I’m not a difficult person to work with. I know some sources have come out that try to make it seem like I’m greedy, but I’m far from anything like that,” Barkley said. he said. “They know where my heart is. If it doesn’t work out, I’ll understand. Hey, it’s not like my football career is over.”
Barkley appeared on the annual Super Bowl Radio Row to watch an elite player (Christian McCaffrey of the 49ers) return to the game and remind him of what’s important in the second half of his career.
“I want to win the Super Bowl,” Barkley said. “No matter what happens, I want to be competitive from now on, whether it’s with the Giants or wherever I am.
“There’s more great football in me. Christian is a year older than me and I think he’s the best running back in the NFL, but I think I’m just as talented. Hopefully. I would like to continue to demonstrate this.”
The Giants have missed the playoffs in five of Barkley’s six seasons. The exception is Barkley, who had the best year of his career, earning a higher annual average than he was at the end of negotiations, but rejecting early offers with less guaranteed money led to him earning the tag.
“I don’t think I made the wrong decision,” Barkley said. “Once they tagged me, the conversation switched, which was to be expected since they had all the influence.”
The Giants may need to quickly bounce back from a 5-12 season because of Barkley.
“Can I continue adding pieces?” Of course. Any team can do that,” Barkley said. “I think Daves is a great coach. Last year didn’t quite go our way, but I believe the Giants can continue to be a championship contender.”
I’ll let the market decide whether he’s one of them.
