New York Giants just wasted Saquon Barkley’s historic season

The caution against the New York Giants drafting running back Saquon Barkley had little or nothing to do with his talent or readiness for the NFL.

To the contrary, drafting Barkley was risky for the New York Giants because of what he represented to the franchise – a quick fix. Dropping this talented running back into the fluid situation of the G-Men meant that they were going to be competitive in games, perhaps more so than they should have been.

All one has to do is take a look at the team’s 1-5 record with the NFC East and understand that these guys weren’t ready to take the next step. In the final years of general manager Jerry Reese, the team couldn’t figure out what its identity was, and that problem largely still exists today.

For example, the New England Patriots are a system team. They can move around interchangeable parts, and still be highly competitive. Having quarterback Tom Brady has helped them, but remember they have finished first sixteen out of the post eighteen seasons.

That’s not just one player.

The Baltimore Ravens have maintained a strong defensive presence year-after-year, despite the fact that they changed quarterbacks this season. The Ravens are in the AFC playoffs again.

How about those Dallas Cowboys?

The ‘Boys have quietly built a very solid defense by drafting players like Demarcus Lawrence, Leighton Vander Esch, Jaylon Smith, Taco Charlton and Byron Jones. In addition, owner Jerry Jones invested in complementary pieces on offense, in order to support quarterback Dak Prescott and running back Zeke Elliott.

Believe it or not, the Cowboys may be the most complete team in the NFC.

The New York Giants drafted Saquon Barkley and decided to put him behind an offensive line that was clearly suspect. Going into the 2018 with Ereck Flowers penciled in as right tackle was a monumental mistake. It was only a matter of time until Flowers was benched. But general manager Dave Gettleman could not pass on what he called a “generational talent”.

Meanwhile, Barkley rushed for 1,307 yards and caught 91 passes on the season, according to Pro Football Reference. 

In its “Postgame stats and notes”, the team’s official website dedicated fifteen separate lines to Barkley accomplishments this season.

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For example, per Giants.com:

"“Barkley’s 142 yards from scrimmage increased his total to 2,028. He is the third rookie in NFL history with 2,000 yards from scrimmage.”"

The other two rookies are Edgerrin James and Eric Dickerson, and there are fourteen more lines with impressive stats, just like this one. Remember, it’s easy to default to individual stats when team accomplishments are not forthcoming. Back in the day, the Detroit Lions media team likely gave a similar update for Barry Sanders in 1989.

Sanders accumulated over 15,000 rushing yards in his stellar Hall of Fame career. When his time in the NFL was complete, Sanders had played in six total playoff games, and the Lions were 1-5 in those games. Did Sanders get to put on that gold jacket? You betcha, but he would probably trade that in for a Super Bowl championship ring.

It’s called winning the battle, but losing the war.

After Barkley’s great season, team brass may want to double-down on getting more offensive line talent into MetLife Stadium. Concentrating on the offense for so many drafts, meant that the safety, cornerback and linebacker positions have long been the red-haired stepchildren of the franchise.

The key to taking advantage of Barkley’s vast talent is to work smarter, not harder, with him in the line-up. Providing a quarterback who doesn’t turn the ball over unnecessarily would be a start. Having that guy be able to extend drives through use of his legs, even better.

The Giants cannot continue to ignore the defense, and not just concern themselves with getting pass rushers into the fold, in order to relive Super Bowl XLII glory.

There’s no doubt that given enough volume, Barkley will end up on top of the NFL statistical leader board every single year. So are the next four or five seasons about proving Dave Gettleman right? Or are they about putting a championship team on the table?

No doubt Barkley won the statistical battle this season, and the New York Giants finished 5-11. We shouldn’t consider that progress.