Joe Schoen may need to break the bank just to prevent this from happening with NY Giants running back Saquon Barkley. Leading up to early March, there's going to be a ton of speculation on what might happen with the two-time Pro Bowl talent.
It's up in the air if the Giants will place the franchise tag on Barkley again. If they don't and let him walk in free agency, general managers will be lining up to try and meet with him, with Giants Nation fearing Philly and Dallas will hope to get something done. In a recent piece from Pro Football Focus, Brad Spielberger has the Cowboys as a potential landing spot for No. 26. Please, no.
Saquon Barkley signing with the Cowboys or Eagles this offseason would be awful
"The Dallas Cowboys and owner Jerry Jones are never one to shy away from larger investments at the running back position, and Jones spent the better part of a decade reemphasizing that the offense ran through Ezekiel Elliott. Dallas in this scenario brings in a legitimate three-down back who can be another pass catcher for Dak Prescott while also capitalizing more often in short-yardage and goal-line situations than Tony Pollard did in 2023."Brad Spielberger
Dallas may end up being desperate in free agency, as fans in Arlington are still furious over the embarrassing Wild Card Round loss at AT&T Stadium to the Green Bay Packers. This was supposed to be the year America's Team pushed for another Super Bowl title, but an early exit from the playoffs was recorded once again.
Enter Barkley? When healthy, Barkley has proven to be one of the best RBs in the game. The major problem, and a big reason why Schoen could be hesitant to give him the money he wants, is that Barkley has a concerning injury history. He just missed three games in 2023 with a high-ankle sprain.
The New York Post's Ryan Dunleavy pitched an idea where Barkley would have a handshake agreement with Schoen where he'd come back to the NY GM with his best verbal offer before signing elsewhere. Barkley said that'd be fair on his side.
So, imagine the Cowboys put big bucks on the table for the speedster and he comes back to Schoen with the offer. What would he do in that case? Fork over the money, or risk Barkley playing for a divisional rival. We hope things don't even come close to that point, but Dallas going all-in for Barkley in free agency is something that can't be ruled out.