Stop me if you have heard this before, but an NFL running back is saying he will not report to mandatory camp until he has a new contract that is "fair for both himself and the Giants". Speaking at his football camp in New Jersey, Barkley told ESPN the contract negotiations are "all about respect." The two sides still have more than a month before a July 17 deadline. "It was always respect"- @Jerseythekid21.
As I mentioned last week in my blog talking about whats next for Dalvin Cook, the first thing that comes to mind when a player suggests he might sit out is Le'Veon Bell. The former Pittsburgh Steelers star back skipped the 2018 season during a contract dispute. Bell got paid by the Jets the following season before he quickly washed out of the NFL, never the same back as he was before skipping a year. Bell has since said he regrets the decision.
"Listen, Saquon is a very good football player, captain last year. He's a good locker room guy. I love him. We want him to be here," Joe Schoen(Giants General Manager) said, via NFL.com. "But you've got to have a deal where both parties are happy with where you end up. That's what we're going to try to work for and see if we can get something we can both agree on."
The Giants had an offer out to Barkley earlier in the year that could've been worth close to $14 million per season, sources have told ESPN. Barkley and his team turned it down. Saquon realizes it is also a business, but coming off a season in which he rushed for a career-high 1,312 yards and tied for the team lead with 57 receptions last year as the Giants made the playoffs for the first time in his five years as a pro.
Barkley is a large part why the Giants were successful last year. But that doesn't mean you handcuff your team and can't improve the line and wide receiver group as you go forward. At some point Barkley has to make a decision. Accept the offer on the table or sit out. Either way, the Giants can't budge. Running backs are a dime a dozen nowadays in the NFL, with that being said, I believe Barkley takes a lot of pressure off Daniel Jones which allowed him to have a career year as well. I believe a deal will be done before the July 17th deadline.