Barkley rejected 2nd Contract Offer Worth up to $14M

[Painter]

I would have to see (and we likely never will) exactly how the offer was structured.  Was it HEAVY incentive based with little guaranteed money?  Or, was it good guaranteed money and some reasonably obtainable incentives?  Simply saying, "...up to $14MM per year...." is nowhere near enough info for me to say, "Barkley can eff off if he won't accept that...."

I think we can go to school on the 4 year deal which will pay McCaffrey $17.2 Million this year against a guaranteed $36.3 million. On a comparative performance basis, there would seem to be no need for incentives.

Cheers!

[GloryDays]

Love everything about Saquon the player and the person.

Pay him the franchise tag for 2 years.  And then move on.  Less money, way less injury risk.

The Giants have been debilitated over the past 5 or so years by: 1) paying Eli too much and too long, mostly too long; 2) overpaying Beckham; 3) overpaying Kenny Holiday [sp].  The dead cap, especially on Beckham, led to not having enough cash to paper over the poor draft performances.  And that's how you implode.

Looks like this is what will happen. Barkley and / or his agent are not very smart. He was much better off taking the Giants fair and generous offer, now he either ends up with nothing if he decides to sit it out, or he'll play up to two more years because chances are he'll get hurt before the end of these two years and no team will pay him even close to what he wants.
TOO MUCH GREED will shoot your brain.

[BluesCruz]

Im so tired of the Barkley hype

He has never had an all-pro like season and never will

the dancing, poor pass catching, poor blocking, lack of 1st down production, injuries,  are at extreme odds with the attention he receives

plus his omni presence keeps all other RBs off the field

he is a guy constantly looking for the breakaway run, and occassionaly breaks one- not good enough

[Rambo89]

Im so tired of the Barkley hype

He has never had an all-pro like season and never will

the dancing, poor pass catching, poor blocking, lack of 1st down production, injuries,  are at extreme odds with the attention he receives

plus his omni presence keeps all other RBs off the field

he is a guy constantly looking for the breakaway run, and occassionaly breaks one- not good enough

2018 and 2022 were elite type seasons for him.  No, he hasn't lived up to the hype he had when Gettleman drafted him but to act like he has been trash is off base.

As far as him being an all or nothing back while that may have been true earlier in his career he has become a much better tough yardage back.  The dancing is not something that he did much in 2022.

[TONKA56]

Schoen had multiple teams offer at least a day 2 pick last year and turned them away. Could have been day 2 ++++ but yeah he should have jumped.

A day two pick at that time wasn't good enough...but I get that some folks want Barkley shipped so badly they'll consider a Big Mac and a pair of used sneakers a good deal.

[TONKA56]

I'm a big fan of Saquon but I think even the 14 million he was offered is too much. Unfortunately for my taste he's just too much of an injury risk. Not ideal but as long as he continues to be productive I'd be fine letting him play on the tag for the next two years. Not sure how much he'll have left in the tank at that point anyway.

[DaveBrown74]

I just think the Giants need to adapt to the modern NFL and not continue to be fixated on any one single RB anymore after this. The Pats figured this out over 15 years ago. Plenty of other smart teams like the Eagles get it too. Paying one single aging, injury-prone RB at or near the top of the league's RB pay scale is just such a poor use of limited resources. They get hurt at an alarming rate, they age out much faster than other players, and even teams that do this and get the RB to perform at a very high level don't win or come close to winning Super Bowls. Moreover you can get good ones in the draft every year, including on day three, who perform at at least a decent if not very good level as rookies (see Dameon Pearce and Pacheco as recent examples). I really think the Giants are doing themselves a disservice clinging to this guy so desperately.

[Jclayton92]

A day two pick at that time wasn't good enough...but I get that some folks want Barkley shipped so badly they'll consider a Big Mac and a pair of used sneakers a good deal.

a 2nd round pick isn't good enough? I think most here would do a happy dance for a 2nd round pick.

Name one team that has ever been thrilled 2 years after they signed a RB to a 2nd contract? You can't because it always goes poorly for the organization. So I'm not sure why you would want that for the team you root for?

[BluesCruz]

I just think the Giants need to adapt to the modern NFL and not continue to be fixated on any one single RB anymore after this. The Pats figured this out over 15 years ago. Plenty of other smart teams like the Eagles get it too. Paying one single aging, injury-prone RB at or near the top of the league's RB pay scale is just such a poor use of limited resources. They get hurt at an alarming rate, they age out much faster than other players, and even teams that do this and get the RB to perform at a very high level don't win or come close to winning Super Bowls. Moreover you can get good ones in the draft every year, including on day three, who perform at at least a decent if not very good level as rookies (see Dameon Pearce and Pacheco as recent examples). I really think the Giants are doing themselves a disservice clinging to this guy so desperately.

Yeah thats said better than I ever could
Desperately Clinging.....

I guess when you pay #2 pick pricing and have nothing else to excite the crowd, the once in a while thrilling runs take on oversized gravitas

I would trade him for the used pair of sneakers, even without the Big Mac.

Funny how other fans see it differenty.  I played golf with two Jets fans lat year and they would have been happy to take Barkley.  They saw something I could not decipher.

Last year knowing he was in a contract year he really revved it up the 1st 8 games, then fell off a cliff

Sorry thats not good enough

[Rambo89]

I just think the Giants need to adapt to the modern NFL and not continue to be fixated on any one single RB anymore after this. The Pats figured this out over 15 years ago. Plenty of other smart teams like the Eagles get it too. Paying one single aging, injury-prone RB at or near the top of the league's RB pay scale is just such a poor use of limited resources. They get hurt at an alarming rate, they age out much faster than other players, and even teams that do this and get the RB to perform at a very high level don't win or come close to winning Super Bowls. Moreover you can get good ones in the draft every year, including on day three, who perform at at least a decent if not very good level as rookies (see Dameon Pearce and Pacheco as recent examples). I really think the Giants are doing themselves a disservice clinging to this guy so desperately.

At this point if I am the Giants I would just not make any new offers letting Barkley either play out the tag or if he wants out shop him for a pick.  Don't want to have to take a cap hit in 2024 taking away from spending on the rest of the roster.

[ViewFromSection129]

I have no idea why we are even debating $14MM for Saquon.  That ship long sailed.  I would be annoyed for anything above his tag number to be honest.

If I was a franchise, I would take a RB in the late rounds every other year at worst and build up a stable of guys.  Once their rookie contracts are over, they take a very team friendly deal or they move on.

[Painter]

We are entitled to our opinions but in this case, this situation, they aren't worth a damn.

What we do know is that Barkley will not cost himself many millions of dollars playing this year under the tag, and while not playing at all is out of the question.

The nature of the current negotiation and its target amount and corresponding value assessment seem pretty clear. McCaffrey is due at present to make $17.2 million in this the 2nd of his 4 year $36.3 million guaranteed deal with the Niners. There is the benchmark which as hard as it may be for fans to accept has nothing to do with availability unless made a condition in advance which would be rare indeed.

What the current negotiations comes down to as Schoen and Co. well know is how much is Barkley needed/ expected to contribute to the Giants success this year- and perhaps beyond- as compared to that of McCaffrey who we already know is the market setter.

In terms of past comparisons, we might give Barkley the edge as a rusher, McCaffrey as a receiver. Or if you wish it to be more granular, this might help:

The 2019 regular season was the year Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey created a legacy and made history. As an avid football viewer, it's impossible to deny the impact McCaffrey's versatility has had on the game. It was shocking for me during Super Bowl LIV game week coverage that Max Kellerman on ESPN's First Take referenced CMC simply as "Saquon Barkley Jr.," when comparing the two backs. There's no denying that the New York Giants running back is one of the best in the game, but is Barkley good enough to reject McCaffrey of his own name and to ignore his broken records? Let's compare.

Barkley is noted as being a complete running back. He was drafted No. 2 overall in the 2018 NFL Draft by the Giants after an impressive career at Penn State. Barkley's first NFL campaign, he surpassed the 2,000 total yard mark, becoming the third rookie running back to have such a feat. Last season was a different story. A high-ankle sprain would keep Barkley from suiting up in three games. His return was less than exciting following some his worst games in his young career. Barkley had a drought of seven games without gaining 100 yards. Perhaps injury contributed to the disappointing season. Others blamed quarterback play and the lack of offensive rhythm to his poor showing. Eli Manning and Daniel Jones are two different quarterbacks. Manning preferred check-down passes whereas Jones stretches the field more.

Similar to Barkley, McCaffrey was a top running back pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. The Panthers selected him with the No. 8 overall pick. At Stanford, McCaffrey saw success and even broke the NCAA record for all-purpose yards in a season. McCaffrey's rookie season was far from quiet on the stat sheet, setting him up for a breakout 2018 season. Since his first NFL campaign, McCaffrey has broken numerous league and franchise records, including becoming the third member of the 1,000-1,000 club in 2019. What makes McCaffrey's record season in 2019 more impressive is that he did it without star quarterback Cam Newton. In fact, McCaffrey saw three different quarterbacks in one season and still managed to make history.


Size wise, Barkley has the slight advantage. Barkley back is 6 feet tall and weighs 233 pounds, whereas McCaffrey sits at 5 feet 11 inches and 202 pounds, Barkley's speed is also tough to match. Both running backs have gotten nods at the Pro Bowl (although McCaffrey declined his invitation).

Comparing both backs' 2019 season in terms of receiving and rushing yards is a bit skewed due to the three games Barkley missed with injury. On average last season, Barkley saw 4.2 true yards per carry while McCaffrey averaged 4.4. On yards per touch, Barkley averaged 5.4 and McCaffrey averaged 5.9. Since his rookie season, McCaffrey has more than tripled his rushing yards in a season and has nearly doubled his receiving yards. Between Barkley's rookie and second pro season, his numbers significantly dropped.

Both the Giants and Panthers had quarterback issues in the regular season. The key difference? McCaffrey didn't slow down despite who was behind center. McCaffrey commanded a majority of snaps, gathering 98.4 percent of the team's snap shares. Barkley on the other hand saw 88.1 percent of the snap shares. McCaffrey had a whopping 66 red zone touches versus Barkley's 35.

Barkley may have the speed but McCaffrey has the versatility. McCaffrey is just as much of a threat at catching as he is rushing. McCaffrey not only torched the other running backs at targets through the air (catching 116 of his 142 targets), but he also had the eighth-most in the league. His 116 receptions marked the second most in the NFL. McCaffrey also dominated at first down conversions, leading the NFL with 115.

There's no denying Barkley is one of the best running backs to come through in recent years. But the comparison to McCaffrey when talking numbers and reliability is unmatched. Although Barkley is closer to being the back he was in his rookie campaign versus last season, McCaffrey's ceiling continues to rise.


Cheers!

[Jclayton92]

Yeah thats said better than I ever could
Desperately Clinging.....

I guess when you pay #2 pick pricing and have nothing else to excite the crowd, the once in a while thrilling runs take on oversized gravitas

I would trade him for the used pair of sneakers, even without the Big Mac.

Funny how other fans see it differenty.  I played golf with two Jets fans lat year and they would have been happy to take Barkley.  They saw something I could not decipher.

Last year knowing he was in a contract year he really revved it up the 1st 8 games, then fell off a cliff

Sorry thats not good enough

In all fairness you think Davis Webb and Gary Brightwell are phenomenal players. So might want to let others people evaluate talent going forward.

Barkley fell off a cliff because he was our entire offense at the beginning of the season. Through week 12 he averaged 60 snaps a game with every opposing defense targeting him. He finished the season with 856 snaps which was tops in the league for a RB even though he didn't play the last week and Daboll trimmed his carries from week 13 through the end of the season.

He virtually put the offense on his shoulders through the first part of the season and with out a single back to spell him that wasn't a gimmick back or ST player he carried the load.

I still don't want to pay him but very much realize without Saquan the first 9 weeks of last season we are not in the playoffs last year, and likely don't have a winning record.

[DaveBrown74]

In all fairness you think Davis Webb and Gary Brightwell are phenomenal players. So might want to let others people evaluate talent going forward.

Barkley fell off a cliff because he was our entire offense at the beginning of the season. Through week 12 he averaged 60 snaps a game with every opposing defense targeting him. He finished the season with 856 snaps which was tops in the league fir a RB even though he didn't play the last week and Daboll trimmed just carried from week 13 through the end of the season.

He virtually put the offense on his shoulders through the first part of the season and with out a single back to spell him that wasn't a gimmick back or ST player he carried the load.

I still don't want to pay him but very much realize without Saquan the first 9 weeks of last season we are not in the playoffs last year, and likely don't have a winning record.

I agree he put the offense on his shoulders to some degree but I think Daboll and Schoen understand you can't win long term in the modern NFL with an offensive attack that's built around the run and mostly only throws very short balls etc.

Now that we have invested all this money in Jones and used both cap space and draft capital to acquire aerial targets not to mention a center upgrade, my expectation is that we'll see the coaches open up the passing game in a big way this year. We better, because if we don't, or if we try and it doesn't work, then you really have to question a lot of decisions they have made in the offseason.

BTW I'm not suggesting that doing the above will render Barkley useless (if he is on the team). Not at all. But I don't think they should be so singularly dependent on a RB for offense moving forward. And based on what they have done in this offseason, it seems like they agree with that point of view.

[Painter]

In all fairness you think Davis Webb and Gary Brightwell are phenomenal players. So might want to let others people evaluate talent going forward.

Barkley fell off a cliff because he was our entire offense at the beginning of the season. Through week 12 he averaged 60 snaps a game with every opposing defense targeting him. He finished the season with 856 snaps which was tops in the league fir a RB even though he didn't play the last week and Daboll trimmed just carried from week 13 through the end of the season.

He virtually put the offense on his shoulders through the first part of the season and with out a single back to spell him that wasn't a gimmick back or ST player he carried the load.

I still don't want to pay him but very much realize without Saquan the first 9 weeks of last season we are not in the playoffs last year, and likely don't have a winning record.

You got that right, Jess. It will be determined by the role, and designed and anticipated contribution to the success of the Offense that the Giants, without much in the way of an alternative running game, hope to get from Barkley at a cost which, however creatively. may end up slightly more than $14 million but less than $17 million.

Unless the Giants plan or are willing to redesign their offense rather significantly, Barkley and Miale still have some leverage in trying to max what likely may be his final big payday.
"Show me the money."

Cheers!