NFL Rumors: Saquon Barkley trade value revealed as Giants look to offload star in 2022
If New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen were to seek a trade for running back Saquon Barkley this offseason, the trade value would be a day three pick in the April NFL Draft.
While at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, Schoen was asked about the running back and chances of trading him this offseason. The Giants general manager stated:
"We're still working through that, but I'm open to everything. Like whether it's trading player for player; I'll listen to anybody. If it's trading a couple players -- I'm not going to say the entire roster, [that] we're open for business on the entire roster. But if anyone is going to call and they're interested in any of our players. I'm certainly going to listen.”
Per Dan Duggan of The Athletic, a fourth-round pick looks to be the consensus at the NFL Combine in terms of a return for Barkley via trade. Currently, the Giants are currently $7.6 million over the salary cap and Barkley could be seen as a way to get under the cap.
Surveying sources in Indy, the consensus trade value for James Bradberry is a third-round pick and Saquon Barkley is a fourth-round pick. I'm skeptical that the Giants will pull the trigger on a Saquon trade.
The New York running back had his fifth-year option picked up by the team in April last year.
In 2022, he will earn a base salary of $7,217,000, while carrying a cap hit of $7,217,000 and a dead cap value of $7,217,000. Amongst running backs in the league, the $7,217,000 salary is the ninth-highest for 2022.
Saquon Barkley’s Career with the Giants
He was the second overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft by the Giants out of Penn State University. The Nittany Lions running back led the league in his rookie season in yards from scrimmage with 2,028 yards and his 1,307 rushing yards were the second-most that season.
He trailed Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott, who had 1,434 yards on the ground. Barkley went on to win the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year award and reached the Pro Bowl in the 2018 season as well.
The same fans who are clamoring for the Giants to trade Saquon Barkley…will be the same ones who are cheering the loudest on here when he is making these plays again in 2022.
Guaranteed.
https://t.co/CpZqyFWIxk
The following season, he rushed for 1,003 yards and six touchdowns on 217 carries but missed the entirety of the 2020 season after suffering a torn ACL versus the Chicago Bears in Week Two. He returned for the 2021 season, rushing for 593 yards and two touchdowns in 13 games for the Giants.
Will the 25-year-old running back be back for the 2022 season in a Giants uniform? We shall see as he’s one of the better backs in the NFL, especially when healthy.