The NY Giants and Saquon Barkley failed to reach a contract extension before Monday's deadline. Barkley has yet to sign his franchise tag (a one-year, $10.1 million contract) and is not expected to report to Giants training camp next week.
In a recent interview on 'The Money Matters Podcast,' Barkley discussed invoking the nuclear option and sitting out the 2023 season. Barkley indicated later in the interview that the nuclear option was unlikely, because the financial ramifications would be enormous for him.
If his tweet on Monday is any indication, Barkley is unhappy with how the contract negotiations played out.
It is what it is
— Saquon Barkley (@saquon) July 17, 2023
Barkley's future in New York is murky. If he plays out the 2023 season, the Giants star will either receive the franchise tag again next March (one year, $12.1 million contract) or enter free agency. Barkley will likely play elsewhere if a contract extension is not reached next spring. With that said, here are five potential Barkley replacements NY can target in 2024:
5. Damien Harris
The ex-Alabama star will reach free agency next spring and would be a solid fit for the G-Men. Damien Harris was drafted by the Patriots in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft and played four seasons in Foxborough. Harris rushed for 2,094 yards and 20 touchdowns as a Patriot.
Harris signed a one-year, $1.77 million deal with the Buffalo Bills this offseason. Despite his production in New England, Harris received an extremely cheap contract, yet another demonstration of the increasingly deteriorating running back market.
Harris could come cheap again next offseason, and could serve as the leader of a running back committee in New York. At 5-11, 213 pounds, Harris is a physical back who gets tough yards. That mindset and playing style would fit perfectly in Brian Daboll and Mike Kafka's offense.
4. D'Andre Swift
D'Andre Swift should have the freshest legs among all 2024 NFL free-agent running backs. After starring at the University of Georgia, the Detroit Lions drafted Swift in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Due to various injuries, Swift played in just 40 games over three seasons in Detroit.
In his Detriot career, Swift recorded 1,680 rushing yards, 18 rushing touchdowns, 1,198 receiving yards, and seven receiving touchdowns. The Lions drafted Jahmyr Gibbs with the 12th pick in April's draft, and signed ex-Chicago Bear David Montgomery, which made Swift expendable. Detriot traded Swift to his hometown team this spring, the Philadelphia Eagles, where he will undoubtedly become a nightmare for the Giants in 2023.
Even if Swift plays all 17 games this season, he will be 25 years old and have just 57 games under his belt when he reaches free agency in March. The Giants offense needs their running backs to be elite receivers, and you aren't going to find a better receiving back than Swift. You know the Giants would love to steal their rivals running back too.
3. Trey Benson
With the running back market in shambles, Schoen may opt to find Barkley's replacement in the 2024 NFL Draft. A blueprint has been laid out for NFL general managers regarding running backs in the last half-decade. Draft a running back, let him play out his rookie contract, let that player hit free agency, and draft a new young and cheap running back.
The 2024 NFL Draft has a ton of intriguing backs including Michigan's Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards, Wisconsin's Braelon Allen, Arkansas's Raheim Sanders, Ohio State's Miyan Williams and TreVeyon Henderson, but Trey Benson is currently the leader of the 2024 running back class.
Benson, a 6-1, 221-pounder, spent his freshmen season at Oregon before transferring to Florida State, where he rushed for 990 yards and nine touchdowns in 2022. He has a chance to build upon that in 2023, and should play in a lot of high-profile games for Florida State in 2023, a team projected to be ranked in the top 10 of the preseason AP poll. PFF has high praise for the stud RB:
"He finished the year with a 91.3 rushing grade and an impressive 0.51 missed tackles forced per attempt. The latter figure is the highest average that PFF has recorded in the past 10 years.PFF's Trevor Sikkema
He’s a back who has the vision, patience and footwork to consistently find open space, and then the playmaking mentality to make guys miss when he gets there. With adequate long speed, as well, Benson presents an alluring skill set and RB1 potential."
2. Derrick Henry
The 2024 free agent class is on pace to be historic. Derrick Henry, Josh Jacobs, Austin Ekeler, Tony Pollard, Jonathan Taylor, and Barkley are all NFL stars and are set to become free agents next offseason. That is likely not good for these running backs; the supply is rich, so the contracts will all be diminished.
If the Giants don't sign Barkley and want to stay in the star running back market, they could pivot to Henry. Henry will be three years older than Barkley next offseason, so he will likely demand fewer years and less money on his contract.
Henry is a backfield monster and the NFL's best power running back. Throughout 102 career NFL games, Henry has 8,335 yards on 1,750 carries and 78 rushing touchdowns. Henry played just eight games in 2021, the fewest of his career, yet still recorded 937 rushing yards. Missing half of the season and still producing like a top-five running back is ridiculous, and demonstrates that Henry has elite value despite his climbing age.
Can you imagine watching this in the Giants backfield?
Just because: that time Derrick Henry scored a 99-yard TD and served up a handful of stiff arms along the way.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) May 12, 2020
(🎥: @Titans) pic.twitter.com/dCeP0QDpmj
1. Stay internal and go with Eric Gray
We can not forget that Schoen comes from the Buffalo Bills organization, which famously expenses minimal resources on the running back position. Buffalo usually utilizes a rotation of mid-round picks in the backfield. The Giants 2022 fifth-round pick Eric Gray could follow the same path mid-round picks Zack Moss, Devin Singletary, and James Cook followed to significant playing time in Buffalo.
With Barkley likely to sit out training camp this summer, Gray will receive a lot of reps, and could quickly push Matt Breida for the backup role behind Barkley. The 5-9, 205-pounder is a bruising running back who rushed for 1,366 yards and 11 touchdowns during his senior season at Oklahoma in 2022.
If Gray balls out in 2023, the Giants could sign a veteran to pair with the youngster, and have them be the focus in 2024. We'll have to wait and see how Gray does during his rookie season, but there's all of a sudden plenty of attention on him. If Barkley sits out Week 1 vs. Dallas and Gray starts, we'll really be able to see what this kid is made of if Daboll gives him the start.