When healthy, Saquon Barkley is one of the NFL’s top skill players. But the former number two in the overall standings is coming out of a season in which he suffered an ACL problem in week 2. The Giants are taking this into account in an important decision.
GM Dave Gettleman, which circumvented the team’s need for a Eli Manning successor, taking Barkley on the likes of Sam Darnold and Josh Allen three years ago, the top echelon of the nominated team had not yet reached a final decision on the fifth year running back option.
“I think that [his health] part of the discussion”Said Gettleman, via SNY. “Obviously, we will have to make a decision this spring if we choose your fifth year option. But it is certainly unknown, and what you need to do is involve your trainer and your doctors.“
Barkley’s recruiting class will be the first group of candidates eligible for fully guaranteed fifth-year options that the new CBA requires. Previous classes eligible for the option had their fifth year salaries guaranteed only for injuries, which allowed teams to cut the bait before the 5th year, provided the player passed a physical exam. This will not be an option going forward; the Giants have until May 3 to exercise Barkley’s option.
Barkley had a historic production in his debut year in 2018, but suffered a sprained ankle in 2019 and lost 14 games last season. Although it is progressing well with the torn ACL, Penn State’s product outlook is somewhat less certain than before. If New York did not accept Barkley’s option, 2021 would be a contract year for Barkley. The team took Evan EngramEngram’s unsecured option last year, and Engram battled persistent injuries for much of his race. This points to the Giants catching Barkley’s.
The price of the option is not yet known, since the new CBA has introduced a multilayer configuration that will involve a deductible to be determined and transition tag costs. The fact that Barkley made a Pro Bowl would make his option price equal to that of the running back transition label. Kenyan Drakethe company’s transition tag reached $ 8.5 million last year; anything in that neighborhood would be a bargain for the Giants, even with Barkley’s ACL rehab slightly obscuring his vision.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.