The New York Giants have been busy during the 2024 version of NFL free agency, making some shrewd moves to improve their team now and into the future. While they’ve brought in some serious talent, it’s come at the cost of a bevy of players moving on to new teams. Some were players that fans were saddened to see leave the franchise, while there are others who won’t be missed too much by the G-Men this season and beyond.
As is the case with every version of free agency, there are plenty of names who won’t live up to the lofty price tag they commanded. The Giants have been burned a fair amount of times by the system, and other teams who have signed some of their former players are hoping that’s not the case this time around. With that said, here's a look at five guys who won't live up to their new deals:
5. RB Saquon Barkley
The first and most obvious candidate for not living up to his potential with his new team is former Giants running back Saquon Barkley, who signed with the Philadelphia Eagles for three years and $37.75 million, with $26 million guaranteed.
Barkley flashed immense potential throughout his rookie season and his first season with Brian Daboll, but Joe Schoen’s philosophy with running backs was evident throughout the team’s negotiations with Barkley. It’s simply the name of the game in 2024, and where most teams stand on the position at the moment.
The writing had been on the wall for months, and Barkley, who famously said he wanted to be a “Giant for life,” will be wearing kelly green next season. Letting the running back walk at that price was the right move, and the only move for the Giants.
While it may sting seeing him play for the Eagles, it’s certainly a shocking amount of money to see Philadelphia cough up for a running back, especially after the way they’ve treated the position over recent seasons. It’ll be tough to see him living up to lofty expectations in 2024, especially after Jason Kelce called it a career for the Eagles this offseason.