Saquon Barkley signing with an NFC East rival feels like it could actually go down
You just had a feeling this was going to happen. Not long ago, NY Giants fans became quite worried when the news dropped that running back Saquon Barkley would not be placed on the franchise tag. With that, he's set to sign with any team he wants in free agency.
While we don't want to see Barkley go, we'd love it if he ended up signing with the Houston Texans or the Baltimore Ravens - teams the Giants don't have to worry about a ton. What no one wants is for Barkley to suit up for a division rival, especially not the Eagles. Well, that's on the table now more than ever:
That interest is mutual. Saquon to #Eagles is a real possibility.
— Ryan Dunleavy (@rydunleavy) March 7, 2024
I’ve had #Eagles on my lists of landing spots for weeks https://t.co/h7pGaKvTFP #Cowboys too. https://t.co/CpgCEeM5cx
The Eagles will go after Saquon Barkley once free agency gets started
First, Howard Eskin reported that the Eagles are interested in Barkley. Then, Ryan Dunleavy has broken our hearts by saying the interest is mutual. Dunleavy added that the Cowboys would make sense for No. 26 as well.
We're going to forget about Dallas for now, but if Barkley, a Pennsylvania native, ends up suiting up for the Eagles, we're going to lose it. That just wouldn't feel right for multiple reasons. At the top of the list is that Giants fans and the Philly faithful absolutely hate one another.
We wouldn't be able to stand seeing Barkley in a green jersey, taking handoffs from Jalen Hurts. At the end of the day, though, could anyone blame Barkley for having interest in the Eagles? Absolutely not. By all accounts, Barkley has tried to make things work with NY, but Joe Schoen hasn't given him the money he wants.
If Howie Roseman and Co. do, no one can be mad at Barkley for taking the cash, especially if it puts him in a position to win a Super Bowl. Don't forget that he'll be running behind an outstanding offensive line too. This was never the case for him while he was in East Rutherford.
Yes, there are surely going to be a lot of people furious with Barkley if he joins a rival, but he doesn't owe the Giants or Schoen a darn thing. Let's just hope this ends up being something we don't have to worry about. The best-case scenario would be he re-signs with the Giants and ends up being a major pain in the rear for the Eagles... instead of being a stud playmaker for them.
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