What Daniel Jones negotiations could mean for Saquon Barkley, Giants

With a rocky start to contract negotiations between the New York Giants and quarterback Daniel Jones, what does this mean for Saquon Barkley?

The New York Giants shocked the world by winning nine games, clinching a Wild Card spot, and even getting a playoff win this past season. But, they have some important decisions to make to build their roster into a contender. For quarterback Daniel Jones and running back Saquon Barkley, they are both in need of new contracts. However, there has since been a huge bump in the road that the Giants have unfortunately hit.

On Sunday, a report revealed that Jones had changed his agency from CAA to Athletes First. Fans wondered what that could possibly mean. Then on Monday morning, ProFootballTalk’s Mike Florio reported that Jones was seeking $45 million per year on his new deal, more than what the Giants were offering.

So what does that mean for Barkley? Well, as Florio points out in another article, the Giants will have to pivot to signing the running back to a contract. But, that also means that Barkley can test free agency since the Giants will have to use a franchise tag on Jones if they can’t make progress on a new deal. A team can only use one tag in an offseason.

With Daniel Jones likely getting tagged by Giants, Saquon Barkley could be heading to free agency

Barkley and the Giants entered negotiations during this past season, where the team reportedly offered him a contract that pays him $12 million per year, according to FOX Sports’ Ralph Vacchiano after New York’s season ended. Additionally, Vacchiano said he heard that Barkley wants a deal near the $16 million per year salary that Christian McCaffrey got with the Carolina Panthers.

If Barkley were to hit free agency, the market is pretty top-heavy. Not only would the Giants running back be available, but so would Josh Jacobs of the Las Vegas Raiders, who led the NFL in rushing yards, and Miles Sanders of the Philadelphia Eagles.

This past season, Barkley had a bounce-back campaign with Brian Daboll’s coaching staff. In 16 regular season games, Barkley ran for 1,312 yards and 10 touchdowns on 295 carries, while catching 57-of-76 targets for 338 yards.

If the Giants are to tag Jones, they have two options. They could give him the non-exclusive franchise tag, which would pay him $32.4 million for the 2023 season. However, that would allow Jones to speak with other interested teams to see if they can give him an offer he would sign. If that is the case, the Giants would have the chance to match the offer, or opt to decline. If the Giants were to refuse to match the offer, they would receive two first-round picks in return from the team in question. There is also the exclusive franchise tag, which would lock him in for the 2023 season at a significantly higher price, and prevent Jones from speaking with other teams.

The Giants are in a conundrum, as they have $43.3 million in cap space, but they have multiple areas on the team that need to be addressed this offseason. With this hold-up in Jones’ negotiations, it could lead to the team committing to a huge cap hit for the upcoming season. As for Barkley, this latest news opens up the door for a potential departure from the Giants.