Until NY Giants running back Saquon Barkley either puts the pen to paper on a new contract or his franchise tender, the rumor mill is going to be working overtime. Last offseason, the Barkley trade speculation was all over the place.
While the Giants placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on him, Barkley indeed hasn't signed anything yet and he was away from the team during OTAs and mandatory minicamp. Could this lead to him potentially getting traded down the road?
In a new piece, Bleacher Report came up with some 'shocking trades' that could impact the 2023 playoff race. A Saquon move to Tampa Bay was on the list. Oh and in return, Big Blue would land Mike Evans as part of the deal.
Saquon Barkley trade rumors aren't going anywhere for the NY Giants
"With Barkley and Rachaad White in the backfield, (Baker) Mayfield or (Kyle) Trask wouldn't have to carry the offense, though the starter would still have (Chris) Godwin, Russell Gage and tight end Cade Otton on the perimeter. As for the Giants, they would finally land a No. 1 wide receiver who can elevate quarterback Daniel Jones. Evans and tight end Darren Waller can turn Big Blue's aerial attack into a top-10 scoring unit, which would close the gap between the Giants and Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC East."Bleacher Report's Maurice Moton
Okay so we'll admit, this is a pretty damn intriguing trade proposal from Moton, who has TB receiving Barkley and a second-rounder, with NY getting Evans. While losing Barkley would be devastating for the offense, landing a WR1 in Evans would be quite the splash for Joe Schoen.
At the end of the day, however, we just can't envision an offense for the G-Men without Barkley being a major part of things. After rushing for a career-high 1,312 yards last season, Barkley is amped to do even more big things for the Giants in '23.
This team went 9-7-1 last year and they stunned the Vikings in the NFC Wild Card Round. There's no way that would have happened without No. 26 on the field. As interesting as Bleacher Report's trade idea between NY and Tampa Bay is, we'd much rather see Barkley earn a multi-year extension instead.
READ MORE: 4 NY Giants priorities this offseason with minicamp wrapped up