5 dream scenarios for the NY Giants in 2023

4. Saquon Barkley and Joe Schoen come to terms on a team-friendly deal

One of the biggest storylines from the NY Giants this offseason has been the potential Saquon Barkley contract extension and his refusal to sign the franchise tag. While we understand Barkley's frustration and him wanting to get paid big money, his reported price tag is simply too outrageous to pay.

Barkley is a top-five running back in the NFL, no doubt. However, with the value, or lack thereof, the position has, it's hard to justify paying him so much money. Despite this, wouldn't it be nice if the two sides could come together on a deal that wouldn't kill the Giants' cap space?

It may not be the most likely outcome, but with the way the running back market has looked this offseason alone, we doubt Barkley gets anything close to what he's reportedly asking. Dalvin Cook, a four-time Pro Bowler, was recently cut because the Vikings couldn't trade him, and Miles Sanders, who ran for 1,269 yards and 11 touchdowns, signed for just $6.3 million per season.

Barkley is better than both of these guys, don't get us wrong. However, it doesn't change the fact that running backs simply aren't valued like they used to be. Alongside this, Schoen and Brian Daboll both come from the Bills, who used third-round picks Devin Singletary and Zack Moss in the backfield in favor of a pass-heavy offense.

In a dream world such as this, though, the Giants can hopefully manage to find a middle ground with Barkley in order to keep the two-time Pro Bowler for the foreseeable future. Running backs may not be highly valued anymore, but there's no doubt that Barkley is a massive piece of the Giants' offense.