Giants Rumors: Saquon Barkley trade speculation to the NFC South is back

The hope for the NY Giants to get back to the postseason this year continues to dwindle. After what felt like a promising offseason, the G-Men are 1-3 and could be 1-5 by next weekend. A major reason for their struggles on offense has been the absence of running back Saquon Barkley, who is still recovering from his high-ankle sprain.

With NY potentially being sellers ahead of the trade deadline, speculation continues to grow that general manager Joe Schoen could end up trading the Pro Bowler, as Barkley's future with the team is uncertain - he's currently playing on the franchise tag.

In a recent piece, Bleacher Report has mentioned the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as a possible trade destination for No. 26. The Bucs were brought up several times last offseason in terms of going after Barkley. Could something actually go down later this month?

Saquon Barkley trade rumors will only keep coming in ahead of the deadline

"With things looking bleak for the 1-3 Giants, moving on from Barkley could be in the cards for general manager Joe Schoen. The team has Matt Breida, Gary Brightwell and do-it-all rookie talent Eric Gray from Oklahoma to carry the load in the meantime.
Tampa Bay has $62 million in 2024 cap room that should allow it to give Barkley a multiyear contract. He's currently on a one-year, $10.1 million franchise tag."

- Bleacher Report's Ryan Fowler

The thought of seeing Barkley play for a different team stings, but he just hasn't been able to stay fully healthy throughout his career. The standout RB has missed the past two games due to his ankle injury and it's up in the air if he'll suit up this weekend against the Dolphins.

In his trade pitch, Fowler has the Bucs receiving Barkley, while Big Blue would get a 2024 second-round pick and 2025 fourth-round pick in return. Barkley is coming off the best season of his career in 2022, rushing for 1,312 yards and 10 touchdowns, earning his second trip to the Pro Bowl. He reminded everyone of how electric he can be with the ball in his hands.

This year, though, he has 114 rushing yards in two games, with one touchdown. He also has another TD through the air. No one wants to see Barkley leave the team midseason, but if New York keeps on losing, the odds of him being traded are only going to go up.