Jordan RaananESPN Staff Writer15:21 PM ET4 minute read
Giants-GM understands why Saquon is “frustrated.”
Giants general manager Joe Schoen updates on his contract talks with Saquon Barkley.
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ — The New York Giants are probably not done making big strides this offseason.
A day after quarterback Daniel Jones signed a four-year, $160 million deal, general manager Joe Schoen said the team has made offers for running back Saquon Barkley and will continue to negotiate with its representatives. The Giants used Tuesday’s franchise tag on Barkley.
Schoen also said the team has entered into negotiations with defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence. He is said to be playing with the fifth-year option from his $12.4 million rookie deal.
But attention now appears to be on Barkley, who would have become a free agent and entered the open market had the Giants not struck a deal with Jones before Tuesday’s deadline. New York offered Barkley a deal for more than $12 million annually during bye week in November. Sources have said they have slightly increased supply in recent weeks.
“Again we had deals, whether it was bye week or recently, and we will continue to negotiate,” Schoen said in a Zoom press conference on Wednesday to announce the Jones deal. “We love Saquon. He’s a good teammate. He’s a captain. He’s a damn good player.
“Right now he’s under franchise tag and as we build the team and move forward with our offseason plan, we’ll do what’s best for our team. We’re still working on it.”
A source told ESPN that they believe a long-term deal is a good possibility before free agency begins next week. The two sides are not that far apart.
At the beginning of the trial, it was thought that $14 million might be an amount that Barkley thinks is acceptable.
As of now, the Pro Bowler is stuck on the $10.1 million franchise tag. The Giants’ last bid was believed to be in the $13 million range.
Barkley, 26, told ESPN after the season that he was hoping to avoid franchise tag. It wasn’t a desirable option.
“If you ask anyone, they would prefer a long-term deal and not be tagged,” Barkley told ESPN the day after the Giants’ season ended. “Unfortunately, that’s part of our business. They can do that.”
It’s a tool the Giants have at their disposal now. Helping the team with the star running back, who finished fourth in the NFL with 1,312 rushing yards last season, can only help. It’s all part of the chain reaction that existed for the Giants, with Jones’ and Barkley’s situations being so intertwined. Jones’ deal, based on the immensity of the numbers and his position, took precedence. Barkley’s situation depended heavily on his quarterback’s.
“These are negotiations. We had some deals out there. We tried to make a deal with him and his representatives and we couldn’t,” Schoen said. “I think both parties knew at the end of the day that was an option and I think if he’s frustrated I can understand some of that. We can also be frustrated that we couldn’t reach an agreement.
“I love Saquon. He’s a good player. He’ll be a part of this team in the future and we’ll see how it goes.”
A long-term contract with Barkley would also give the Giants extra cash to supplement the rest of the roster. Schoen said it would lower Barkley’s 2023 cap hit if the sides agree on a new deal.
That was imperative for the Giants to do with Jones. Schoen called using the $32.4 million franchise tag for his quarterback the “worst-case scenario.” That’s not necessarily the case with a running back.
But Jones and Barkley are aware of the impact their deals are having on the rest of the list. They rejoiced at the opportunity to play on a winning team for the first time in their careers last season.
Even if they’re trying to mind their own business, it’s something they at least have in the back of their minds.
“In a situation like this, you’re trying to do what’s best for you and your family while also being part of a team and understanding the goals and vision that we have as a team and as an organization,” Jones said. “That was certainly important to me throughout the deal. I think we found a way to do both and go the right way for both sides. That was certainly important to me.”
“Saquon, I’ve said he means a lot to me as a teammate, as a friend and to us as players. So I’m certainly not going to talk about his business, but that was certainly part of it.”