4 contract decisions that will pay off for the NY Giants

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1. Not overpaying Saquon Barkley

The Saquon Barkley saga this offseason has been an exhausting one. However, we're incredibly glad that Schoen did not meet Barkley's original demands. While Barkley is the caliber of running back worth paying a decent amount, there is no chance he was going to get $15-16 million per year.

Barkley is probably a top-three running back when healthy. However, he's only had two fully healthy seasons in his five-year career and is 26 years old. How much can we trust that Barkley will be very productive in two or three years? Barkley does more than a lot of players to keep his body in the best shape possible, but the injuries are eventually going to take a toll on him.

Not only was it a great idea for Schoen not to overpay Barkley initially, but it was arguably an even better move to give him the franchise tag. That way, if a deal can't be met, Barkley can either sign elsewhere and the Giants get assets out of it, or Barkley can play on the tag and show that he will continue to be consistently productive.

We're hopeful that Barkley and Schoen can agree on a deal before the season starts. That way, the Giants can have their franchise running back on a team-friendly deal that won't cripple them financially. Running backs may not be worth what they once were, but a player like Barkley is still incredibly important to the Giants' offense.

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