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Giant moves: New York agree to deal with Daniel Jones and tag Saquon Barkley
It came down to the final hour, but the New York Giants will bring back their top two offensive weapons in Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley. Safid Deen explains how it all went down.
Sports Seriously, USA TODAY
New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley will not be attending the team’s first voluntary offseason workouts that begin Monday, according to multiple reports.
Barkley has not yet signed his franchise tag tender, Newsday first reported, rendering him unable to participate.
The Giants placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on Barkley in the final moments before 4 p.m. deadline on March 7, meaning he will play the 2023 season on a deal worth $10.1 million.
Barkley, drafted second overall by the Giants in 2018, was looking for a long-term deal this offseason, but it did not come to fruition. Now he is attempting to regain some leverage in any negotiations.
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Saquon Barkley missing workouts shouldn’t shock Giants
Skipping the workouts should not be much of a surprise to the Giants.
For one, the workouts are voluntary, and players cannot be penalized for opting not to attend, according to the league’s collective bargaining agreement. Generally, although not a blanket rule, veterans tend to attend less of these the longer they are in the league.
Barkley’s decision to not yet sign his tender is a signal to the Giants’ front office that he desires to sign a long-term deal worth more than $10 million annually, an option both sides can explore until July.
Whether Barkley decides to miss more of the offseason program remains to be seen. According to northjersey.com, part of the USA TODAY Network, Barkley was with a group of Giants’ offensive players training in Arizona last week.
Why did Giants franchise tag Saquon Barkley?
At the beginning of the offseason, Giants general manager Joe Schoen declared that bringing back quarterback Daniel Jones and Barkley on long-term deals were the team’s priority.
The negotiations with Jones took center stage, though, as the team wanted to avoid putting the franchise tag on a quarterback for more money while risking the loss of Barkley to free agency.
Ultimately, the Giants agreed to a four-year, $160 million contract with Jones in the minutes prior to the March 7 deadline. The deal allowed the Giants to use the franchise tag on Barkley and accomplish their goal of keeping both in New York.
Now Barkley is the one seeking a long-term payday.
Follow Chris Bumbaca on Twitter @BOOMbaca.
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