Will Saquon Barkley be an Eagle?
The rumor of Barkley signing with Philadelphia have been simmering for the past few weeks, but the scuttlebeat has begun to sizzle. it will be turned up another notch when free agency begins Monday.
Landing in Philadelphia could be the perfect landing spot for the 27-year-old running back who has spent the last six years in the Meadowlands. Barkley was the feature back with the Giants, and there was plenty of discussion whether or not he should have been a workhorse back of 20 to 30 carries per game.
With the Eagles, Barkley’s talents may be better utilized. Philly’s passing-led offense wouldn’t place an undue burden on Barkley, as he has proven to be effective catching passes out of the backfield.
D’Andre Swift, the Eagles’ lead back from last year and also a free agent, rushed for 1,049 yards on 229 carries for an average of 12 per game. Swift had a season-high 175 yards on 28 carries in Week Two against Minnesota.
Barkley rushed for 962 yards on 247 carries last season, and he averaged 17 carries per game. That may be in the range the Eagles would be looking for.
Yet, hold on.. Barkley also may find another home in the NFC East.
Dallas also has emerged as a possible home for Barkley. The Cowboys have lost Tony Pollard to free agency, and Barkley would again fit nicely into a passing offense. Pollard rushed for 1.005 yards on 252 carries last season.
However, Pollard stated Friday that he will take a pay cut from the open market of anywhere from $12 to $15 million to stay with the Cowboys, possibly sensing a late postseason run in 2024.
So..where else could Barkley go?
The Buffalo and Kansas City rumors still have some life to them, but they may be just a flicker. The Bills haven’t deviated much from Brian Daboll’s former offense, and the Chiefs have apparently found their prime back with rising star Isaiah Pacheco.
Other options include Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas. Barkley may want to take a long look at Houston, a team primed to take a major step ahead with quarterback C.J. Stroud.
Could he come back to the Giants? It is possible, but it looks more like a longshot since the Giants didn’t palace the franchise tag on him.
According to sources and reports, the Giants and Barkley couldn’t find any mutual ground over the past few months.
Still, the Giants do need a lead back, but they may stay with the three-headed monster of Matt Breida, Gary Brightwell, and Eric Gray depending if they choose a quarterback in the first round. That choice is another quickly gaining momentum in several circles.
If he is gone, Barkley gave Giants’ fans plenty to cheer about for the past six seasons.
Now, they may be booing him when he’s wearing Eagles’ green in the fall.