Although he’s only been a Giant for less than a month, Saquon Barkley is fitting right in. Right down to the chemistry with Eli Manning.
It has been amazing,” Barkley said. “Obviously he is a great guy; he’s a great quarterback. But he’s so knowledgeable about the game – he knows every single play where you’re supposed to be, where everybody is supposed to be and literally he can look this way and this guy ran a wrong route and he knows that guy already ran a wrong route, so I just continue to learn from him every single day and ask a lot of questions.
“I think I’m probably annoying to him a little bit, but I continue to ask him a lot of questions and I just want to expand on my knowledge of the game because that’s going to make me a better player and if I can continue to grow as a better player, then I can continue to help the team.”
The No. 2 overall pick is the main reason why experts and sportsbooks like SBG Global.eu are ticking up the Giants this year. He’s going to make them more compelling and interesting.
It’s also makes the Giants more complete. They haven’t had a running back like Barkley since Tiki Barber, which means he will be able to get the tough years, which was lacking in past seasons.
“When you look at the great backs in the NFL right now and you look at the (Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott) Zekes and the (Steelers RB) Le’Veons (Bell) and the (Saints RB) Alvin Kamaras and all of those guys – one thing that stands out to you is they all can run the ball, but the reason why they separate themselves from the rest of the pack is because they can catch the ball out of the backfield and they can do it on every single down. I want to try to get myself on that level first.
“Obviously I have to handle what I have to handle here and focus on the playbook and getting better every single day, but as that continues to come, I have to continue to work on my route running because if you have a running back that is able to run routes and is a threat out of the backfield, that is just another thing you have to cover.
“So right now, definitely when I’m doing one-on-ones, the ones I win, the one’s I lose, or even if it’s seven-on-seven, you work on the little things – if it’s zone, know where you have to sit; if it’s man, coming back to the ball, just to be another resource for Eli to throw the ball down there. Then as a running back, we’re well known for running the ball and if you can catch the ball out of the backfield, maybe you take it from a 25-yard to a 60-yard touchdown.”
Should make for a compelling year.