Thibodeaux says Barkley should have been paid before Jones

[Stringer Bell]

He isn't wrong. One of the two played at a pro bowl level and the other is middling. The middling player got a big contract and the pro bowler got the scraps. To make matters worse a rookie street free agent was more effective with the same talent. He's only putting voice to something everyone is thinking about.

I'm not thinking it. Barkley should not have been given a huge contract, because RBs should never be given huge contracts. And the fact that he continues to regress, didn't even rush for 1,000 yards, and averaged less than 4 YPC only proves that out.

Just because DJ didn't live up to his contract doesn't mean we should have paid someone else who shouldn't have been paid. So no, KT is not right.

[DaveBrown74]

I'm not thinking it. Barkley should not have been given a huge contract, because RBs should never be given huge contracts. And the fact that he continues to regress, didn't even rush for 1,000 yards, and averaged less than 4 YPC only proves that out.

Just because DJ didn't live up to his contract doesn't mean we should have paid someone else who shouldn't have been paid. So no, KT is not right.

Agreed. Barkley made out like a bandit with a $10mm fully guaranteed number last year. He was pedestrian at best, plus he got hurt again, adding another data point to a long-standing trend of constant injuries with this player.

Moreover, claiming the Giants didn't "pay Barkley first" isn't wholly accurate. Let's not forget they tried to sign him during the 2022 bye week, and he passed. They hadn't offered Jones anything at that point. Barkley then passed again in the offseason on an offer that he clearly should have taken and which no team in the NFL will offer him this offseason. He is now worth much less.

The Giants made efforts to sign Barkley, offering him more than he clearly deserved based on his 2023 performance. He was the stubborn one, not them. And now that stubbornness is going to cost him.

[uconnjack8]

Barkley misread the market and turned down whatever the team offered.  That's pretty much the end of the story.

[MightyGiants]

He isn't wrong. One of the two played at a pro bowl level and the other is middling. The middling player got a big contract and the pro bowler got the scraps. To make matters worse a rookie street free agent was more effective with the same talent. He's only putting voice to something everyone is thinking about.

It's pretty much a truism (which is why RBs are upset they are not getting paid) that it's foolish, and you almost always pay for past performance when you sign an RB to their first veteran contract.  It's why KT should focus on improving his own performance and spend less time publicly second-guessing his boss and worse giving his bosses BAD advice

[ozzie]

Agreed. Barkley made out like a bandit with a $10mm fully guaranteed number last year. He was pedestrian at best, plus he got hurt again, adding another data point to a long-standing trend of constant injuries with this player.

Moreover, claiming the Giants didn't "pay Barkley first" isn't wholly accurate. Let's not forget they tried to sign him during the 2022 bye week, and he passed. They hadn't offered Jones anything at that point. Barkley then passed again in the offseason on an offer that he clearly should have taken and which no team in the NFL will offer him this offseason. He is now worth much less.

The Giants made efforts to sign Barkley, offering him more than he clearly deserved based on his 2023 performance. He was the stubborn one, not them. And now that stubbornness is going to cost him.

This ^^ Exactly.
The Giants tried to sign him. Barkley turned it down. KT should just move on.

[TDToomer]

Maybe KT is upset that their wasn't enough cap space to outbid Seattle for Julian Love because so much went to Jones?

[madbadger]

I'm not thinking it. Barkley should not have been given a huge contract, because RBs should never be given huge contracts. And the fact that he continues to regress, didn't even rush for 1,000 yards, and averaged less than 4 YPC only proves that out.

Just because DJ didn't live up to his contract doesn't mean we should have paid someone else who shouldn't have been paid. So no, KT is not right.

He should have been paid fair market value and not forced to grovel just to get the franchise.

[MightyGiants]

When you are looking at this season's best RBs, I think this is one of the best stats to look at (along with yards per attempt and receiving stats)

[Bob In PA]

This is not a big story.  One guy's opinion. He's entitled to it, just like all of us.

He believes Saquon should have been paid FIRST. It's not a comment about Jones (except for the obvious belief the he should NOT have been first).

Thib's view is... Saquon produced more big plays than Jones, so he deserved to go FIRST.

He starts his remarks by saying, "that's all I'm gonna say about this."  I think it's obvious what that means.

He's not (now or ever) going to say what he thinks about Jones EXCEPT that Saquon deserved to go first.

Bob

[Jclayton92]

Neither Barkley nor Jones should have been paid.

He isn't wrong though people should be compensated for their play. Julian love put up a top 5 season at safety last year and we didn't have 6 million for him? But we had all that for Jones. I would have rather kept Love than Jones.

[Stringer Bell]

He should have been paid fair market value and not forced to grovel just to get the franchise.

LOL. He was offered a fair market value, multi-year contract and turned it down. The franchise tag figure exceeded his value and his worth. As DB said, he made out like a bandit in 2023 vs. his production. And he proved he's not worth that kind of money and that the team was lucky he turned down the long term deal.

[Gmo11]

He's right.  If they were going to overpay for one of those guys probably over pay for the one of them that's actually good at their job.  Seems pretty straightforward. I think the reasons things played out the way they did are pretty obvious, selling the fanbase on letting Jones walk after his best season, but from this it makes me think that the players would have understood if they did it. 

[Doc16LT56]

This is not a big story.  One guy's opinion. He's entitled to it, just like all of us.

It may not be a big story to us, but we don't really know how the story will play out in the locker room. We've heard stories of toxic Giants locker rooms in the not distant past, and from what I understand it's an unwritten rule that you never publicly talk about your teammates contracts (other than maybe generic congratulations).

[files58]

All of this who got paid what and when is all on Mara. I would have to think that since Schoen/Daboll came from outside the organization they had/have compiled an unemotional evaluation of Jones. Mara with his "we did everything we could do to screw him up" blabbing laid the groundwork for the unwise contract. The compromise was the two year out. The two signings are mutually exclusive. SB overvalued himself.

[Stringer Bell]

He's right.  If they were going to overpay for one of those guys probably over pay for the one of them that's actually good at their job.  Seems pretty straightforward. I think the reasons things played out the way they did are pretty obvious, selling the fanbase on letting Jones walk after his best season, but from this it makes me think that the players would have understood if they did it. 

No, he's not right. You don't overpay anyone, especially a RB. The Giants tried to pay him and he rebuffed them. The reason Saquon wasn't paid is because of Saquon and no one else.