In what has already been a busy offseason for the NY Giants, things have gotten quite complicated for Joe Schoen after not inking Saquon Barkley to an extension. With the two sides not agreeing to a new contract, Barkley won't be in town for training camp.
Now, though, might Schoen end up pulling off a stunner before Week 1 gets here? There's been plenty of speculation that the Big Blue general manager could opt to bring in a replacement for the Pro Bowl running back. With a fellow Pro Bowler?
Over the past couple of days, free agent running back Dalvin Cook has been mentioned as a possibility for New York. Insider Peter Schrager has thought about this more than once:
From June 9.
— Peter Schrager (@PSchrags) July 18, 2023
The case for Dalvin Cook to the Giants. NYG rescinds the tag and signs Cook at a lower number.
Dangerous game but suddenly more realistic than ever.
Would NYG do it ? 🤷🏼
Would Cook be willing to do it to his galvanized locked-in-arms running back brethren? 🤔 https://t.co/ljxAP3DVGn
The Giants pursuing Dalvin Cook would be a complete and total stunner
As unlikely as this seems, you can't rule anything out for the Giants and Schoen this summer. In order for this wild idea to go down, the Giants would have to rescind the franchise tag and then agree to terms on a new deal with Cook.
Could you imagine if the front office did this? As great as Cook is, we don't even want to think about the Giants without Barkley. The standout RB is coming off the best year of his career, rushing for 1,312 yards and 10 touchdowns.
If he ends up playing on the non-exclusive franchise tag, Barkley will take home $10.1 million for this season. If the G-Men were to tag him next offseason too, that'd result in $12 million for the 2024 campaign. While Barkley has left the door open to sit out this season, it would be a foolish move on his part.
Unless Barkley signs his tender soon, however, the worry is only going to keep on growing about his future with the team. Until that happens, rumors will continue to fly about what Schoen might do. Would that include going after Cook? That will be something to monitor until the former Viking signs a new deal as well.
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