4 most important Giants questions Joe Schoen must answer at the NFL Combine
2. Will an extension get done with running back Saquon Barkley?
This is something Schoen is going to have to discuss more than once. Earlier in the week, ESPN's Adam Schefter confirmed that the G-Men and Schoen aren't expected to use the franchise tag on the two-time Pro Bowler again. The Giants went that route with Saquon Barkley last year and he couldn't have been more upset about it.
The Giants will speak with free-agent-to-be running back Saquon Barkley and explore a deal with him, but they are also unlikely to tag him for $12,109,200, per sources. https://t.co/ektTdtZSaH pic.twitter.com/PspdR7W0V3
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 26, 2024
Now, Schoen isn't going to put Barkley through the waiting game again, but if Giants fans want to see Saquon back at MetLife Stadium next fall, then an extension must get done. These conversations between the two sides have been a waste of time over the past year, which is why there isn't a ton of hope that something will get done this time around.
Barkley posted a career-high 1,312 rushing yards in 2022 and then he followed that up with 962 more yards this past season, plus 10 total touchdowns. He did miss three games with a high-ankle sprain, which Schoen and the front office will of course bring up during negotiations. The Giants have more cap space to work with, but our gut here is that Schoen will use money to invest elsewhere.