Saquon Barkley is slated to be one of the top available running backs in NFL free agency and has found his name in plenty of rumors as a result. The longtime feature back for the New York Giants again came up as a topic of conversation on Wednesday as Bart Scott made a controversial analogy to Barkley’s relationship with the franchise.
Bart Scott: Giants Treating Saquon Barkley ‘Like a Sidepiece’
Barkley came up during a segment on Wednesday’s edition of Get Up on ESPN when Scott, Kimberly A. Martin, and Mike Greenberg were discussing whether a trio of potential franchise tag candidates will indeed be tagged rather than becoming free agents.
Scott was tasked with discussing Barkley and did not hold back in comparing his relationship with New York and general manager Joe Schoen to that of “a sidepiece.”
“Joe Schoen needs to just tell Saquon, ‘Listen, man, we just not that into you,'” Scott said. “You’re out here treating Saquon like a sidepiece. They give him just enough to make him satisfied. … They’re just waiting for a better, cheaper option, Saquon. Get the picture, man.”
Martin gave her begrudging agreement with Scott’s statement, while Greenberg feigned ignorance on the matter.
“That’s a great analogy. It is, unfortunately,” Martin chimed in.
“In the commercial, you’ll explain it to me,” Greenberg added.
Bart Scott: "Joe Schoen needs to just tell Saquon, 'Listen man, we just not that into you.' You're out here treating Saquon like a sidepiece. They give him just enough to make him satisfied."
Kimberley A. Martin: "That's a great analogy. It is, unfortunately."
Greeny: "In the… pic.twitter.com/aAWkRPt9vS
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) February 21, 2024
Barkley is slated to hit free agency, if he is indeed not franchise tagged as expected, on the heels of a solidly productive 2023 campaign.
He posted 247 carries for 962 yards and six touchdowns while also catching 41 passes for 280 yards and four more scores as a key playmaker in an otherwise rough year for the Giants.
Barkley played the season on a modified, one-year franchise tag with the hope of cashing in on a big payday this offseason. Whether he will get a deal to his liking from New York or another team remains to be seen.
Barkley has an estimated market value of a three-year, nearly $30 million deal for an average of just under $10 million per year, according to Spotrac.
He does rank as PFN’s top free agent running back this offseason and the 28th overall free agent among the site’s top 100 players available.
A team like the Los Angeles Chargers, which hired Jim Harbaugh to be their new head coach this offseason, could be interested in shelling out for Barkley to be the featured back in his typically run-first scheme.
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Other potential landing spots for Barkley include the Houston Texans and Philadelphia Eagles.
The free agent market hasn’t been kind to running backs in recent years, though, with the league placing an increasingly lower value on even the position’s top contributors. Time will tell whether Barkley is a rare running back to receive a big payday or if he falls closer to the smaller figures of recent days.
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